Alone, Together
by Unordinary Soul
Summary: With his family gone for a month, Crash has his home all to himself. Things change when an old friend gets lost and visits, and with both together alone, love blooms. Rated M for language and other stuff. Done and Done!
1. Not Alone

_Home alone. With the family gone for a month, I can finally have some peace of mind. No disturbances, no noise, no nothing. If this isn't paradise, I don't know what is._

As these words flow through the mind of the 18-year-old, orange furred marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, a well-known hero throughout all of the Wumpa Islands, he had found peace in the silence of his home on Island. Crash was in his room, lying down awake, staring at the ceiling. The bandicoot was reminiscing about how his sister Coco had been nominated for a science award for one of her inventions, and how she can bring two people for company while they travel to Sydney, the Australian capital for the science expo.

_2 Weeks Earlier_

"Oh yeah, Aku Aku, Crash, Crunch, get to the living room now!"

As Coco's family rushed into the living room, they saw the youngest bandicoot jumping into the air holding a letter and an envelope for which the letter came in.

Crash: "Coco, what's wrong?"

Coco: "I think you mean what's right, big brother! Check this out!"

As Coco gave the letter to Crash, Crash read the letter aloud.

"_Dear Coco Bandicoot,_

_We are happy to invite you to the upcoming Next Best Inventor in Sydney, Australia. The event starts next Monday and ends at the end of the month. Inside the envelope, you will find three tickets for you and two other acquaintances to accompany you. We hope to see you there!_

_Sincerely,  
>Mark Hudson, Promoter of NBI"<em>

As Crash gave the letter to Crunch and Aku Aku to read the letter, he walked over to his sister to give her a hug as a sign of congratulations.

Crash: That's great sis! So, what is this big invention of yours?

Coco: Glad you asked. It's-

Aku Aku: Hold on, young one. There are only three tickets. Three of us can go, but one has to stay.

Crunch bent down on his knees and begged to go with Coco. Knowing he wouldn't stop, Coco said yes and Crunch was now on the go for the trip. As they took out the last ticket, both Coco and Crunch looked at the orange marsupial and the witch doctor mask.

Crunch: So, who's it gonna be guys?

Crash: Aku Aku can go. I've already been to Sydney before. (Starts walking away)

Aku Aku: Crash, are you sure you want to stay? You can go if you want to.

Crash: I'm positive, mate. After all, I can visit Sydney anytime I want to.

Coco: Well, that's settled then. Crash will stay and look after the home and the three of us will go to Sydney. We better start packing! (Runs off)

Aku Aku: She's right. Crash, since you're staying, I'll make a list of chores so you can keep the house clean while we're away. Try to stay on top of it. We're gonna be gone for a month.

Crash: Alright. No problem since I'm sure it'll involve sweeping, taking out the trash, cleaning the yard, gutters, and all that nonsense.

Crunch: It's a big responsibility brother. We'll leave some coin for you to buy groceries.

Crash: (not paying attention) Yeah, great. I'm sure I can handle it.

Aku: Crash, we're serious. Here a few rules I'm sure you can follow. No parties, no mess, and no anything bad, dangerous, or illegal.

Crash: You can trust me. If the world can trust me with saving it, I'm pretty sure you can trust me being alone for a month.

Aku: Ok. Crunch, let's start packing.

As they left, Crash waited and grinned an evil smile. Knowing they'll be gone for a month, Crash can finally do what he wants without consequences. With an evil chuckle, Crash walked back to his room.

_2 Weeks Later_

Crash was still laying down, thinking what he should do. Even as Crash thought back to that moment he smiled and laughed to himself. Crash wasn't planning on doing anything bad. The moment to make an evil smile and laugh was something he wanted to always do. With nothing coming to his mind, Crash closed his eyes.

Crash: Peace and quiet.

_DING DONG!_

Crash quickly sat up. Thinking about of how it was probably a lost person or some seller of a product, the bandicoot hoped it was either and not his family telling him they missed the flight. Walking toward the door, Crash began getting nervous. _Please be someone else, _he thought. _Anyone but them._

Crash grabbed the doorknob, inhaled some air, and slowly turned the doorknob.

Crash: (nervously and slowly) Hello?

? : Excuse me but do you know where I can-

Crash: Pasadena?

Pasadena: Crash?

Well, I guess won't be alone for a month. Or will he? (cue suspense music!)

Nah, just kidding. He's not gonna be alone.

Review if you like. If there's any errors such as spelling or anything in that catergory, please inform me. I wish to be a better writer. Other than that, stay tuned for more chapters.


	2. Friendly Chat

Chapter 2

Crash himself couldn't believe who was on his doorstep. Was it Pasadena, or could it be his imagination that desperately wanted to see anything other than his family? _She looks different,_ he thought.

Pasadena was slightly shorter than Crash. Not only that, but she looked different from the last time they met. She wore her blue racing jacket, but it was unzipped, revealing a grey sweater beneath. She wore blue jeans and wore a similar pair of shoes like Crash wore, except they were grey instead of brown. Crash also noticed how she wasn't wearing her helmet and saw she had short, wavy blonde hair that reached her shoulders. Pasadena's left bangs covered a small portion of her left eye.

_She really looks different, _thought the orange bandicoot.

Pasadena: Crash, is that you? You look different. Did you do something with your hair? And you can talk?

Crash did look a bit different over the past year. Crash was wearing blue jeans with a slight fade and a few rips. He still wore his dark brown canvas sneakers. Not to mention Crash still had his tattoos on his hands and forearms (which Crash got expanded so they covered half his forearms). Crash had found his old fingerless gloves and wore them again. The only few differences was that Crash's hair now covered most of his head, getting rid of his old mohawk hairstyle and giving him a short, somewhat spiky shaggy hairstyle. The other only difference was that Crash now wore a string necklace with three white beads on each side of the center pendant, which looked like a miniature Power Crystal, except that instead of being amethyst, it was a bright sapphire.

Crash: (rubbing the back of his neck) Uhhh…well, not really. Yeah, I can talk. A while ago, my sister built this collar thing, put around my neck, and tah-dah, I can talk. But anyway, hey! How you've been?

Both walk and pull each other into a hug.

Pasadena: It's been awhile fuzzy boy.

Crash: (blushing, but looking away to cover his face) Yeah, a while. Come on in, you probably have loads to tell.

Pasadena: A bandicoot with manners, that's the first good thing all day.

As Pasadena walked in, Crash followed behind and closed the door. As they walked into the living room, Pasadena took a look around while Crash walked toward the couch and sat down.

Pasadena: You have a nice place, Crash. It feels very homey.

Crash: Yeah, well it's ok, but enough about me. What about you? Is the Motor World still running?

Pasadena: Yeah, business is booming. VC's just opened another Motor World around here. That's why I'm here. Unfortunately, my car broke down and I walked about a mile and a half before I was on your front porch.

Crash: Wow, that's great. Wait, did you say your car broke down?

Pasadena: Yeah, why?

Crash: Hehe, well unless you've been training for a marathon, you're stuck out here. The next car station is not for another 22 miles.

Pasadena: You're shitting me, right?

Crash was surprised by her sudden swear. Never had he heard another curse in front of him. (Well, besides himself. When you've been silent your whole life, people will be surprised to hear what you have to say.)

Crash: I wish I was kidding around, sweetheart, but I'm not. Well, look at the bright side.

Pasadena: What bright side?

Crash: I was kinda hoping you knew what the bright side was. This is your problem, not mine. So I say, (laughs).

Pasadena: Yeah, very fucking funny, Bandicoot. I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with a smart-ass marsupial.

Crash: Whoa whoa whoa, slow your damn role. I didn't mean to be mean and what gives you the right to call this beautiful island, "the middle of nowhere?" This is paradise. You should be happy.

Pasadena: You're right. I'm sorry. It's just been a stressful day. My car broke down, I walked a mile and a half, and my feet are killing me.

Pasadena walked over to the couch and sat down next to Crash, resting her head on the bandicoot's shoulder. Crash looked over at the possum and saw her trying to snuggle up to the marsupial.

Pasadena: I'm just really tired.

Crash: (jokingly) Poor thing.

Pasadena: It's not funny.

Crash: I know, I'm sorry. Let me get up, I'll make something to eat for the both of us.

Pasadena: Thanks. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. At least there's still one good thing.

Crash: Yeah, what's that?

Pasadena: I'm staying with a good, kind bandicoot.

Crash: Thanks.

As Crash left the room, Pasadena snuggled against the couch and waited for the bandicoot to return with their meal.


	3. Faces, Songs, and Lasagna

Crash was in the kitchen, looking through a cookbook he purchased a few years back. As he skimmed through the pages, he was looking for something etiquette.

Crash: (flipping through pages) No…no…nope…had that for lunch…that was yesterday's dinner…well, nope…uh-uh…oh, this'll do.

Crash found the recipe to make some chicken lasagna. As Crash prepared the ingredients, he walked to the nearby radio which was hooked up to his iPod on the counter and turned it on. As he hit play "Colours," by Grouplove began to play.

Crash: Sweet.

_In the Living Room_

Pasadena was lying on the couch, waiting for Crash to prepare their meal. Being curious, she got up and looked around to see if anything would catch her eye. Besides a few pictures and a couple of things on the wall, nothing really got her attention. As the possum walked by the fire place, she noticed a picture of a female bandicoot with blonde hair.

_Who's this,_ Pasadena thought. _Looks a bit like Coco, but she could be their mom. _Being curious, she decided to think about it for a few minutes until she came to the idea that the bandicoot in the picture was probably a cousin or some other relative. Pasadena put the picture back on the shelf and decided to go to the kitchen to see if Crash was almost done.

_Kitchen_

As Pasadena walked in, she heard the radio and instantly knew the song. She saw Crash at the counter and saw the meal he was making.

Pasadena: Hey Chef, whatcha cookin'?

Crash: I'm making some chicken lasagna. That's okay with you?

Pasadena: Yeah sure. Hey, is that "Colours" by Grouplove playing?

Crash: Yeah. You're a fan?

Pasadena: Well I haven't heard much of their music, but I love this song.

Crash: Cool. Are you gonna sing? I'm only asking cause' I'll join in with ya.

Pasadena: Alright. I hope you're a good singer.

Crash: I'm good a singer as I am a driver.

Pasadena: So you suck?

Crash: Low blow, Pasadena.

As Crash press the back button, the song began to play and both marsupials began to sing together with the song.

_I am a man, man, man, man  
>Up, up in the air<em>

_And I run around, round, round, round  
>this down town and act like I don't care.<em>

_So when you see me flying by the planet's moon,  
>You don't need to explain if everything's changed<br>Just know I'm just like you._

_Huh. Ha. (x4)_

_ So I pull the switch, the switch, the switch inside my head.  
>And I see black, black, green,<br>and brown, brown, brown and blue, yellow, violets, red._

_And suddenly a light appears inside my brain  
>And I think of my ways,<br>I think of my days  
>and know that I have changed.<em>

_It's the colors you have  
>No need to be sad.<br>It really ain't that bad. _

_It's the colors you have  
>No need to be sad.<br>You've still got your hand_

_So Mistress, Mistress have you been up to the roof?  
>He shot himself, self<br>There's blood on the wall  
>'Cause he couldn't face the truth.<em>

_Oh, knock that down,  
>leave the ground and find some space<em>

_And tell your friends, friends,  
>You'll be back again, gain<br>Before it's too late._

_It's the colors you have  
>No need to be sad.<br>It really ain't that bad._

_Ooooooh, It's the colors you have  
>No need to be sad.<br>It really ain't that bad_

_It's the colors you have  
>No need to be sad.<br>You've still got your hand_

_So I am a man, man, man, man  
>Up, up in the air<br>And I float around, 'round, 'round this downtown  
>And know I shouldn't care.<em>

_So when you see us there out in the open road  
>You don't need to explain<br>If everything's changed  
>Just know that you don't know.<em>

_We call it... (Life)  
>Oh yeah, that's what we call it.<br>We can't call it at all._

_We call it... (Life)  
>Oh yeah, that's what we call it.<br>When you can't call it at all._

_Yeah, We call it (Life)  
>Oh yeah that's what we call it.<br>(Oooohhhhh)  
>We do it for... (sweet love)<em>

As the song ended, both Crash and Pasadena started to laugh. As their laughter shook them up, they held onto each other as their laughs died down. They both eventually stopped and looked onto each other's emerald green eyes.

Crash: Uhhhh…

Pasadena: Well?

_DING!_

Crash: Right! The lasagna's done. I'll get it and I'll set the table. (walks away)

Pasadena: (sighs) Men. Never understood them, never possibly will.

As Crash went to get the lasagna, Pasadena walked to the nearby table, where she sat and waited again for Crash to come with the meal. The orange bandicoot came back with a large dishpan in his hands and set it down on the table. He left and came back with two plates and two sets of knives and forks.

As Crash handed Pasadena her plate and utensils, he walked to the opposite side of the table where he set his utensils down and walked back to where he set the dishpan.

Pasadena: Smells really good.

Crash: Eh, I'm not a chef, but I make damn good food.

Pasadena: (takes a bite) Mmmm, I second that.

Crash: Thanks. Enjoy the meal.

As Crash went back to his side, he sat down and prepared his napkin and utensils and began to eat.

_37 Minutes Later_

Pasadena: Crash, that was a great meal. Where did you learn to cook?

Crash: I got some time in and I learned eventually. I got a lot of time now that I think about it.

Pasadena: Oh, how so?

Crash: My family is gone for the rest of the month, and I'm alone here for the time being.

Pasadena: Nice! You should throw a party.

Crash: Yeah, about that. I made a promise not to do that, and I always keep my promises.

Pasadena: A noble gentleman. How-

Crash: Great? Sweet? The best-

Pasadena: Dumb. Crash, you have a house to yourself for a month and you're telling me you aren't gonna throw a party because you made a promise not to?

Crash: Now that I think about it...Yeah, I'm not gonna throw a party.

Pasadena: Wow. You are extremely loyal.

Crash: Thanks, but are you forgetting the part where you throw an insult at me for being honest and loyal?

Pasadena: No. Honestly, I think it's very sweet that you've kept your promise.

Crash: Yeah. I'm a hero.

Pasadena: Yeah. Well, since you're enjoying the heroic moment, you wanna know how to be a hero right now?

Crash: Oh, well this should be good. What do you want?

Pasadena: Well, I need to be escorted back to my car and I need to get it towed.

Crash: I can tow it. Besides the mechanic is closed today. Let's go.

And so, Crash and Pasadena left the hut in Crash's jeep that he earned at the Motorworld. So the two are off to fetch Pasadena's car, tow it, and bring it back soon.

Yeah, so I might know this isn't the best chapter but it's the longest one so far. The song is "Colours" by Grouplove, it belongs to THEM. I know I should've made this earlier but I don't own anything. All characters belong to their respective owners. Read and review if you like. There's more to come so no worries. I'll post another chapter as soon as I can.


	4. The Spark

Chapter 4-The Spark

As Crash and Pasadena walked to the garage, they noticed how dark the day was getting.

Crash: Damn. We better hurry up, it's getting late.

Pasadena: You sound worried. Why's that?

Crash: Well, it's a little hard to explain, but I'll talk about it on the way.

Within a few feet, both marsupials found themselves at the door of the garage and entered. Crash flipped on a light switch and Pasadena's jaw dropped.

Pasadena: Wow! That's a lot of cars Crash!

Crash: Yeah I know. The one we're looking for is over there. (points to jeep)

Pasadena: That's the jeep you got from the MotorWorld.

Crash: We're gonna use that one cause it's got a hook and wire in the back.

Crash and Pasadena walked towards a zebra striped jeep that was in the middle of the garage. As they walked towards it, Crash grabbed the keys to the car off the wall.

Crash hops in the car and starts it. After the engine roars, Crash pushes a button which caused the garage doors to open. As the doors finished opening, Crash put the jeep in gear and drove off.  
>On the way to where Pasadena's car stopped, Crash explained everything that has happened over the following years. The Viscount, the Titans, and the Mutants, Crash told every adventure and surprisingly managed to get every story told by the time they got there.<p>

Pasadena: Don't you ever take a break from all this adventure? Aren't you worry you're gonna get hurt or something?

Crash: (angrily) Believe me, Pas, if I wanted to take a break I would. Cortex isn't gonna give up trying to take control of the whole goddamn world, and it's my responsibility to prevent that from happening. Yeah, I get a break every time I stop the lunatic, but it's so short, and I end up trying to save the planet all over again. (sighs) I feel like it's an endless cycle, and I can't stop it, no matter how hard I try.

Pasadena: Maybe there is a way to end it, but you just don't know it yet.

Crash: Yeah, that's the only problem, Pas. When? That's all I want to know. When is it gonna end? I don't want to spend the rest of my life saving the world. I know that sounds selfish, but I want to know when I can stop. The planet has nothing to fear, and they stop asking me for help. Don't get me wrong, I love Earth, and I would die defending it. But even the hero deserves a break.

Pasadena: I wish I could understand Crash. I can't cause I haven't saved the world billions and billions of times like you have. Ask yourself this though: "What will I do when Cortex is gone?"

Crash: Take a fucking vacation is what I'd do! I would do what I desire. I've already been to parts of the world, but I want to explore it. I want to live a normal life.

Pasadena: Hmph. So what's your idea of a "normal" life?

Crash: Travel the world, do things I've never done before. Experience is what I want to do.

Pasadena: Anything else?

Crash: I don't know. Maybe when I'm older, I'll find a girl, marry her, settle down, buy a house, have a few kids, and live the rest of my life away from the world. That's the life I want to live someday.

Pasadena: You want that? Seriously?

Crash: Yeah. I don't plan on living the rest of my life alone, although being alone sounds nice sometimes. The point is, I don't want to be alone in the future. You wanna know what I hope to see someday? I hope to see myself sitting on the porch with my wife, and we're both watching the kids play. It's peaceful, and nobody has anything to worry about.

Pasadena: Sounds nice. That's what I want someday, too.

Crash: Look, I'm sorry about getting angry. I know I shouldn't be mad at you because you haven't done anything wrong, but these questions just somehow find a way to set me off. People expect an answer, and I used to not give 'em one, but now that I can talk, I can give them an answer and it's not good enough.

Pasadena: Well if it makes you feel better, your answers are good for me. And you know what? Someday you are gonna see your kids play alongside your wife.

Crash: Thanks.

Pasadena: Sooooo, how do you picture your wife?

Crash: What?

Pasadena: How-Wait let me ask it like this. What do you want in a woman?

Crash: Is this a test or something? Last time I answered that question, it did not end well.

Pasadena: (chuckles) No! I mean, what do you want in a girl, how do you see her?

Crash: Well, I-Hey, wait a sec! Why do you wanna know?

Pasadena: I'm just curious. Maybe I've met her and I can play Matchmaker with you and future Mrs. Bandicoot.

Crash: Ok. But if any of this ends up on the Internet or some other informative crap, I will hunt you down.

Pasadena: (raises hand) Girl Scout's Honor.

Crash: Fine. (sighs) Well, I want her to be beautiful, and when I say beautiful, I mean my heart races every time I see her. Intelligent, but not too smart like my sister so I don't feel like a dumbass, but she is not completely empty-headed. She's very sweet, kind, and gentle. Everytime I hear her name I smile. I'm always thinking about her and I let her know everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. I would never do any sort of harm to her. She's very sexy, and I would do anything for her.

Pasadena: Well, well, well, Mr. Bandicoot, your chances are slim but there is still hope for love yet.

Crash: (sarcastically) Oh, thanks for the confidence.

Pasadena: (sarcastically) You're welcome and thanks for playing.

As the jeep drove through the jungle, they ended up finding the roadway and within finding the street, they found Pasadena's car is well.

Crash: Thar she blows! Car ho!

Crash pulled the jeep up to the car. It was Pasadena's Bad Girl car from the MotorWorld that Crash had a hand in getting the car. Crash backed the rear of the jeep to the front of the Bad Girl, got out and hooked the car, and pulled a lever which pulled the Bad Girl's front section up.

Crash: Hey Pasadena, make sure the car doesn't have it's parking brake on.

Pasadena: Ok.

As Pasadena walked toward the car, Crash couldn't help but noticed that Pasadena had a nice, curvy, but slender body. As he found himself staring, Crash immediately looked away.  
><em>Whoa, what the hell are you staring at, <em>thought the orange hero. _She's your friend and nothing else. Wait, she doesn't notice, so I don't-Stop! What am I thinking? Oh man, what is wrong with me? Here I am staring at a friend of mine and now I'm mentally talking to myself. As if this couldn't get any worse._

Pasadena: Crash? You ok?

Crash: What?

Pasadena: You're awfully thinking hard about something. What is it? Is there something wrong?

Crash: No, I was thinking about...

Pasadena: About what? You can tell me.

Crash: I was thinking about what time the mechanic opens tomorrow. So we can get the car fixed.

Pasadena: Oh, ok. Anyway, the car's set.

Crash: Fantastic, let's go.

As Crash and Pasadena boarded the jeep, Crash kept thinking about what he was doing earlier. Why did he look? At what point did he look? At what point did he find Pasadena attractive?

(FYI, italics mean thoughts)

Crash: _What is wrong with me? I feel like some perv. I didn't mean to stare, I just looked toward her direction and all of a sudden I'm staring. As long as you don't find yourself staring too long or too hard, or better yet don't even look at all, you'll feel better and you'll forget about it._

Pasadena: Crash, what were you really thinking about earlier?

Crash: Huh? Oh, like I said I was thinking about the mechanic's shop.

Pasadena: Yeah, right. Who would be thinking about what time an auto shop opens? It's ok, you can tell me.

Crash: _Just lie to her. _Ok, I was thinking about what we were talking about earlier.

Pasadena: Your type of woman? Crash, it's nothing to be embarassed about. Lots of guys think about their potential woman all the time. I'm not surprised if you were thinking about her.

Crash: Well it's just what you said. My chances were slim.

Pasadena: Oh, hun, I was joking. Crash, you have the same chances as any other guy or even a woman as a matter of fact. I didn't mean to make you feel that way.

Crash: Oh. _Way to go, genius. Now she feels bad. _Well, thanks for clearing that up.

Pasadena: It's no problem. (looks away)

Crash: Well, with that out of the way, I think both of our minds are clear.

Pasadena: (still looking away) Yeah sure.

Crash: _Gotta break the ice. _How about them Cowboys?

Pasadena: Huh?

Crash: Sorry what I meant to say was, "How bout some tunes?" You can be DJ.

Pasadena: Sure, why not?

Pasadena started to turn on the radio and browsed through the stations.

Pasadena: (browsing through channels) Man, there's hardly anything good on the air.

Crash: Well, there's gotta be something. What do you like to listen to? I can find the station. Classical?

Pasadena: Nope.

Crash: Right. Uh, techno?

Pasdena: Does not compute.

Crash: Okay, hip hop?

Pasadena: Eh, it's okay, but not really.

Crash: You're not into easy listening are you?

Pasadena: You would have to pay me to listen to that.

Crash: Jazz?

Pasadena: It's alright, but not my style.

Crash: Country?

Pasadena: We're good, but on some terms.

Crash: Ok, that leaves us with the only awesome choice.

Pasadena: Oh, yeah? What's that?

Crash: (presses button) Rock 'n' roll.

Pasadena: Now there's something we can agree on.

As the radio switches stations, Crash turns the volume up and from the stereo Oasis's _Some Might Say _started to play.

Crash: Ohhhhh, Oasis, you take me back.

Pasadena: No way, you're an Oasis fan too?

Crash: Hell yeah I am! Oasis is one of my favorite bands ever.

Pasadena: That's awesome! Who else do you listen to?

Crash: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day,Weezer, Nirvana, Breaking Benjamin, Social Distortion, Rise Against, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Coldplay, and My Chemical Romance.

Pasadena: Nice. Who else?

Crash: Well other than those guys, there's a little bit of Smashing Pumpkins, Third Eye Blind, Taking Back Sunday, Staind, 3 Doors Down, 30 Seconds To Mars, Sum 41, and Three Days Grace with a side of Incubus and Cage the Elephant.

Pasadena: Congratulations Crash. You hit the jackpot!

Crash: Thank you! What do I win?

Pasadena: This. (kisses Crash on the cheek)

Crash: (nervously) Thanks.

Pasadena: (nervously) Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-

Crash: Yeah, it's no problem. It's water under the bridge. Let's never speak of this except for the list of the great band names.

Pasadena: Yeah, I can agree to that.

Both marsupials looked away (well except Crash, who focused on driving) to prevent from letting the other see their blushed faces.

Crash: _Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man. I'm beginning to think I like Pasadena._ _Well, that's not true, I do like-Oh my God, I like Pasadena! Why do I keep correcting myself? Fuck!_

Pasadena: _I think my old feelings for Crash are coming back. Shit!_

* * *

><p>Well, it appears the two marsupials are beginning to develop a certain 'liking' for the other. Stay tuned for more chapters!<p>

Review if you want!


	5. Misunderstood Signs

Chapter 5

As Crash drove his way home, he still could not figure out why he began to like Pasadena. Was it that she is attractive, or that they have a couple of things in common? Or for a more reasonable answer, could it be both? As the questions raced through the young bandicoot's mind, he tried to figure it out. Why now? Why not when they first met? Could it be that time was a necessity for him to grow fond of Pasadena? Questions, but no answer. When they arrived home, Crash pressed the button in the jeep to lower down the garage door. Luckily, there was enough room for the truck and the car to fit.

Crash: Home, sweet home.

Pasadena: (chuckles) Yeah. Look, Crash, I'm sorry for what I did earlier. I had no idea what came over me.

Crash: Yeah, that doesn't leave the car. What happens in the jeep, stays in the jeep.

Pasadena: Yeah, right.

Crash: Well, it's only 7 o' clock. Wanna watch a movie or somethin?

Pasadena: Yeah, sure.

As the marsupials headed in, Crash flicked the light switch off. They made their way toward the living room, where Pasadena sat down on the couch while Crash went to the TV to grab the remote and turned it on.

Crash: Ok...(browses through channels) Let's see what's on.

Crash channel surfed while trying to find a good movie to watch. Crash avoided any romantic movies, for his mixed emotions for the light brown possum was enough for today. Unfortunately, a lot of romance movies were on.

Crash: _Damn it. Nothing but romance. There's gotta be something. Come on, seriously? No horror? No action? No comedies? Where's the good stuff?_

Pasadena: Is there something wrong?

Crash: Oh, no, just gimme a sec. _Come on, come on. Wait, you have DVDs. _Actually, there is nothing good on TV. We have a couple of DVDs though, feel free to pick.

Pasadena: (gets up and walks over) Ok, whaddya got?

As Pasadena walked over to the TV, Crash opened the drawers that were in the table holding the TV. Crash decided to set the DVD player up. Power? Check. Input channel? Check. Control? Check.

Crash: _Hope she picks something good._

Pasadena: How bout this one? (holds up Die Hard)

Crash: _Thank God. _Yeah, great.

_Two Hours Later_

Pasadena: Great movie.

Crash: Pretty much one of my top ten favorites.

Pasadena: (looks at watch) It's getting close to late night. I guess I'll sleep here for tonight. If that's okay with you?

Crash: Well, there isn't any other place to sleep nearby, plus I can't just kick you out.

Pasadena: Thanks, see you in the morning. (snuggles on couch)

Crash: What are you doing?

Pasadena: Well, I was going to sleep here until you brought up that question.

Crash: (chuckles) Pas, my family's not here. You can sleep in Coco's room for tonight.

Pasadena: Really? Thanks.

Crash and Pasadena walked out of the living room and into the hallway.

Crash: First door on the left is the bedroom. The next one is the bathroom if you need to go.

Pasadena: Thanks. (kisses Crash on the cheek) It's really nice of you to let me stay. (walks away)

Crash: No problem. (sighs) Pas, wait.

Pasadena: What is it?

Crash: Alright, well, first thing's first. What's with the damn kisses? Is that how you say "Thank you" where you're from? Second of all, are you sure? Cause I'm getting mixed signals here.

Pasadena: (nervously) Well, Crash. It's just-

Crash: It's just what?

Pasadena: (more nervous) It's just...I can't...I...(sighs) I can't explain it, but what you're doing is making me nervous. Not only that, but what you've done today is really sweet of you Crash. You gave me food to eat, you towed my car, and you're letting me stay. I'm just saying thanks. Not just that, but you're not the only one who's getting mixed signals. I mean, why else would someone do it?

Crash: Because I'm a good person, because I'm a good friend. Plus, there isn't any other place to stay. How would you know how I would feel if I just let you stay out there?

Pasadena: Well, is me staying here uncomfortable? I'll sleep in the car if that makes you feel better.

Crash: No! That won't make me feel better, just awful instead! Can't you understand that I just want to know why you keep kissing me on the cheek?

Pasadena: I'm just saying "Thanks."

Crash: Well, stop it. I don't know why you even did it in the first place. You can't say "Thanks" like that!

Pasadena: Then how the hell would you prefer it?

Crash: I would prefer it verbally like this: "Thanks Crash for letting me stay." How the hell is it that hard to say?

Pasadena: (angrily) It's just hard for me, okay?

Crash: (angrily) How the fuck is it hard, Pas?

Pasadena: (furiously) Because I still like you, you asshole!

After yelling at Crash, Pasadena walked over and kissed him. This time, on the mouth. Crash was caught off guard, and very surprised. After a few seconds, Crash kissed back. It felt right, even though they knew it was wrong of them to yell and then, all of sudden to forget about it through kissing. For both, it didn't seem wrong. It felt exciting, with the adrenaline from the screaming match and the intense passion that managed to come out of nowhere. Their kiss lasted only a few minutes, but to them it felt like an eternity. As Pasadena pulled away, Crash was standing there, amazed and confused. Both were breathing heavily.

Pasadena: (breathing) Crash...I'm sorry. (walks away)

Crash: (walks while catching breath) Hey. We're not finished.

Pasadena: Yes, we are.

Crash: Well, I'm not.

As Crash walked over to Pasadena, he turned her around and pinned her against the wall. As the possum looked at the bandicoot, he kissed her. Surprisingly, she kissed back. Crash pressed his tongue against her lips, begging for entrance. Pasadena responded by opening her mouth, and soon, both were lip-locked and tongue wrestling. The passion between them was intense, as Crash wrapped his arms around her back and moved his hands up and down her back while Pasadena wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight. The orange hero backed his head and aimed for his partner's neck. Crash kissed with such fiery emotion, that Pasadena released moans of pleasure, making the bandicoot kiss with more passion.

Pasadena: Ohhhhh, Crash.

Crash felt as if lust had taken over. Crash growled an bestial moan, as if his animalistic instincts intended. Pasadena found herself strangely excited at Crash's groan. The bandicoot lifted the possum, with the former wrapping her legs around the hero's waist. Tightening her grip around his neck, Pasadena returned the favor by kissing Crash's neck, making him moan.

Crash: Wowwwww. T-That feels...great.

As both continued their make-out, Crash eventually stopped, put Pasadena down, and backed off.

Crash: (breathing) Pas, I...I'm sorry. I don't know about this...

Pasadena: I don't know either, Crash. What are we doing?

Crash: I don't know. I'm sorry, but I really can't say anything about this.

Pasadena: So, now what? Why did we?

Crash: (sighs and walks away) Mixed signals.

As Crash walked away and left Pasadena in the hall, he found himself angry, confused, and strangely good. The passion was gone, the intensity vanished. The emotions came and went, and not either of them know why they performed their actions. The bandicoot went to his bedroom and laid down on his queen-size mattress. Staring at the ceiling, he took the time to think.

Crash:_ What the hell is wrong with me? I like her, but I can't confront her. Why? I think it's worse that I'm falling for her. I've fell in love before, and how did that end up? It was doomed from the start. If I can't control what I feel, I fear I may do something to hurt Pas. I can't do that, not to her. I gotta do something before it's too late._

Crash wasn't the only one thinking that night. As she laid down on the bed in Coco's bedroom, Pasadena took the time as well to think.

Pasadena:_ Why did this had to happen? You just had to shout it out, didn't ya? This is why I try to avoid arguments. After a shouting match, you just had to spill the beans. I'm an idiot to admit I still like him, even though my feelings for him are just beyond friendship. I wish it were easy to just tell him the truth, but it's not. As soon as the car's fixed, I think it's best I leave. I can't do this to_ _him._

Both marsupials try to sleep it off, but what they didn't know was that their emotions for each other are beginning to unravel, and the path for their relationship is now being laid.

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><p>Well, there's another chapter for ya. Next one might take a bit, but I'm not giving up yet. Feel free to leave a review if you want. Until next chapter, see ya.<p> 


	6. Truths and Possibilities

**Author's Note: Yeah, I will no longer be doing the : thing for conversations because I can't really describe what they're saying, how they're saying it, and what they're doing. So whether it's an improvement or a mistake, I don't care. Besides, it looks a bit more professional, don't ya think? Anyway, back to the story.**

* * *

><p>Morning.<p>

Crash laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was only 7:16 A.M., and yet he was awake. Usually, the orange bandicoot would wake up around 9 to 12, but today he woke up very early. The events which led to an intense make out session with a girl Crash wasn't sure of his feelings for kept him up the entire night. Confused, angry, stressed, these were only few of the many mixed emotions of last night's incident.  
>Staring at the ceiling was the only way he could think about the previous day. Crash fought off sleep that begged him to go back to bed with the help of the emotions.<br>He sighed, and shifted towards the side of the bed where he sat. Thinking again, the Aussie remembered to help his friend fix the car.

_The mechanic doesn't open til 9 I think, _the bandicoot thought to himself. _We should get ready, p__robably get breakfast in town, then off to Sal's._

Crash stood up, stretched, and moved towards his dresser. Rubbing his eyes with his left hand, he opened a couple of drawers to fetch a grey pair of briefs, white socks, another pair of blue jeans, a white shirt and a olive green hoodie. As he exited the room, he walked down the hallway toward the bathroom. As he quietly walked down the hall, he stopped by his sister's room. Opening the door slightly, he heard nothing but breathing, knowing his guest was still asleep. Crash slowly closed the door and continued his way, hoping that the hot water could take his mind off.

* * *

><p><em>7:48 A.M.<em>

The possum laid on her side, looking at a nearby dresser where a large mirror stood. She had only woke up 3 minutes ago, and if not for the sound of her heart beating as she listened for an answer, there would be complete silence. Pasadena remembered how once her mother told her, "If you can't trust your mind, nor your gut, listen to what your heart has to say." Pasadena smiled as the day her mother gave advice when she was talking about a boy she met during middle school. However, her smile faded away as the young woman's mind caught up with reality. This wasn't middle school. It was real life. And apparently, real life caught her in a bad net. Pasadena felt a bit sick as her brain remembered last night's "incident."

_Maybe it's a sign of some sort. If only I could reveal how I really feel, I would. But last night...was it a mistake?_

As thoughts raced through the female marsupial's mind, Pasadena began to question if her former feelings were true about her orange friend. Deciding that the only solution was to talk, Pasadena sat up and walked to the hall. As she stepped out of Coco's room, she heard a shower running. Figuring out that she could taking a shower, the light-brown possum proceeded to the garage, where she remembered that there was a suitcase full of her clothes.

* * *

><p>Crash wiped away the fog that covered the mirror. As he looked at himself, the bandicoot saw his reflection and sighed while looking down.<p>

_Despite last night, there's no way you can look her in the eye. Why couldn't I control myself? As if there was some animal..._

The hero looked back at his reflection. As he stared at his own emerald eyes, Crash looked away and walked back into the hall. He saw that Coco's door was open and guessed that Pasadena was awake.  
>Either that or he forgot to close the door properly. The orange boy decided to close the door, and as he closed it, he heard footsteps and directed his gaze towards the hall.<p>

"Good morning," Crash said a bit nervously, looking towards his friend's direction.

"Morning," Pasadena replied while walking down the hall carrying her suitcase.

"Leaving so soon," he asked.

"Well," she spoke, "I could but my car isn't exactly working properly, remember?"

With a chuckle, Crash realized her sarcastic response along the memory of the Bad Girl's condition.

"Right..."

"I take it the shower's unoccupied?"

"All yours, Stinky."

As the marsupials walked pass each other, Pasadena gave a friendly punch on Crash's arm. The bandicoot jokingly flinched to the possum's retaliation.  
>Just as Pasadena reached the door, she turned to look at Crash.<p>

"I think we need to talk," Pasadena said, with a small hint of sadness.

Knowing she was right, Crash nodded. "I think we should. Maybe on the way?"

"Sure."

Pasadena proceeded to enter the bathroom, while Crash chose to wait in the living room for her.

_22 Minutes Later_

Crash's ears perked up as he heard the bathroom's door open. As the footsteps from the hall drew near, Crash turned his head from the TV towards the hallway and saw Pasadena standing there in blue jeans, the grey canvas shoes she wore yesterday, a white tank top, and a purple track jacket.

Crash said, "So, ready to go?"

Pasadena replied, "Yeah. Let's go."

Both proceeded to the garage, got in the jeep, and drove towards downtown. The drive towards the nearby town felt uneasy for both friends. Hoping to ease the tension, Crash reached for the radio, but stopped as he looked over at his passenger.

"Pas, about last night," Crash had said before Pasadena interuppted.

"I know this must be difficult to talk about, but we have to try. We can't just let this go easily."

"Ok, then. So where do we start," asked Crash.

"Well, uhhh, there's where we argued," Pasadena recommended.

"Right," Crash said. Straight foward, he asked,"So why did you kiss me?"

Shaking her head while it rested on her palm, Pasadena responded stressfully, "I'm not quite sure. I mean, it felt-It was like-Well, what I'm trying to say is that I was in the moment and everything felt intense and I think it was sort of a last resort."

"Last resort?" Crash asked.

"Well it wasn't easy. I didn't know what to do, and I wasn't thinking clearly, and it just happened. I don't really like arguments, Crash," Pasadena said in a jittery tone.

Crash replied sheepishly, "Oh. Well, it's sort of a good answer."

Pasadena answered back, "Ok. Here's my question: Why did you kiss me?"

Without a thought, Crash reacted. "Last resort?" Unfortunately, his answer earned him a stern look from Pasadena. With a sigh, Crash decided to really answer the question.

"I..."

"You what?"

"I liked it. Even though the kiss was out of nowhere, it felt...right. And when you pulled away, it kinda left me wanting more, and so I guess that's why I kissed you back."

Crash looked back at the road and focused on it. As much as he felt embarassed with a sign of blushed cheeks, the bandicoot felt kind of good telling his feelings about the kiss. Luckily, Crash wasn't the only one blushing, as his passenger was blushing madly.

Breaking the silence Pasadena said, "That's very...sweet of you."

"Thanks. So, uh, are you hungry?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was thinking we could get breakfast in the town. I know a good diner, and the mechanic isn't open til' nine."

"Why not?"

As both looked away, Crash reached for the radio and turned up the volume.

_I've been waiting_  
><em>I've been waiting for this moment all my life<em>  
><em>But it's not quite right<em>

"What moment?" Crash thought to himself. "Why is there so many complications when it comes to something like this?" Crash looked at Pasadena, seeing that she was looking out the window.  
>As he exhaled an disappointed breath, Crash focused on the road while thinking how he could never be Pasadena's boyfriend. "It's not that I don't like her, but we rarely have anything in common.<br>She's sweet, kind, pretty, and smart. I'm different."

_And this 'real'_  
><em>It's impossible if possible<em>  
><em>At who's blind word<em>  
><em>So clear but so unheard<em>

"If only telling you how I feel was easy as tying your shoelaces." Pasadena smiled but frowned as she stared out the car window. She noticed the grey clouds above.  
>"Well, it could be worse." And things went bad as lightning struck and thunder was heard. "Stupid jinx."<p>

_I've been waiting_  
><em>I've been waiting for this silence all night long<em>  
><em>It's just a matter of time<em>

"Silence, huh? The rain's fine." Crash smirked as the thought ran through his head. Looking back at his passenger, Crash watched as Pasadena rested her head against the window, while still looking out the window.  
>"She looks beautiful, and she's at peace. Wait, what are you thinking? You're not falling for her, you can't be falling for her. Have you learned nothing from the past?" Crash sighed angrily as he argued with his consicence.<p>

_To appear sad_  
><em>With the same 'ol decent lazy eye<em>  
><em>Fixed to rest on you<em>  
><em>Aim free and so untrue<em>

Pasadena took a quick look at Crash and noticed how stern and focused he looked. "Is he angry with me," she asked herself. Looking back at the window, she sighed. Feeling irritated just by looking at her own reflection, Pasadena looked foward at the road. Folding her arms, she laid her head against the head rest and closed her eyes to think.

_Everyone's so intimately rearranged_  
><em>Everyone can focus clearly with such shine<em>

Noticing her actions, Crash reached for the radio to turn down the volume. "Why is this happening to me? Can it be more clearly to whether or not I have feelings?" As the rain began to pour down, Crash hit the wipers on. "If the wipers can clear the sight ahead, why can't I?"

_Everyone's so intimately rearranged_  
><em>Everyone can focus clearly with such shine<em>

Half asleep and half tired, Pasadena moved closer to Crash and rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you feel the same way about me," Pasadena wondered. The possum kept her eyes at a low level watching and waiting for Crash's reaction.

_Lost and loaded_  
><em>Still the same 'ol decent lazy eye<em>  
><em>Straight through your gaze<em>  
><em>That's why i said i relate<em>  
><em>I said we relate<em>  
><em>It's so fun to relate<em>

"I hate myself for this. Why does she have to be so damn cute?" Crash sighed as he lifted his right arm and wrapped it around Pasadena. His arm was around the back of her head ad his hand rested on her hip. Feeling her warmth made Crash smile, as he never felt this comfortable around anybody. "Maybe...maybe I am falling for you."

_It's the room the sun and the sky_  
><em>It's the room the sun and the sky<em>

Pasadena smiled to herself and made herself comfortable. "Maybe you do. Maybe this is what we needed.."

_I've been waiting_  
><em>I've been waiting for this moment...<em>

As the two friends made their way to town for breakfast, love began to grow between them.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, there's another chapter. Anyway, I'll get the next one up as soon as possible. Feel free to leave a review if you want. Questions, comments, or concerns? You know what to do. In the words of Claptrap from Borderlands, "See ya next time!" By the way, how awesome was that game? Right?<strong>

**P.S. The song is "Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups. As another notice, I think this story could turn into more of a song story, so that's a possibility. Gotta go, bye.**


	7. Reality Hits The Fan

Chapter 7

_On the road, 8:09 A.M._

Within a couple of minutes, the duo arrived in Wumpa Villa, the small town that was the closest to the Bandicoot home. Crash drove through the town and as what appeared to be a 50's diner came into view, Crash pulled the car into the parking lot. As both friends enter the diner and sit at a nearby table, a waitress walked to their table.

"Hi! My name is Abby, and I'll be your waitress for the time being. Now, can I start you off with drinks," asked the ever-so cheerful Abby.

"Coffee, black," Crash had said formally. "I'll have the same," Pasadena said softly.

"Okay then. I'll be back in a bit," Abby claimed, before leaving their table.

As their waitress had left, Crash rested his chin on his hand while staring at the table as Pasadena averted her gaze out the window. Deciding to break the silence, Crash chose to make a joke.

"You know, I thought I had to be at least 30 to actually enjoy coffee," Crash joked. Pasadena giggled and proceeded to join in on the conversation. "30, huh? More like now if you had my job."  
>"Is it that stressful or something," he had asked. Before Pasadena could speak, the bandicoot spoke again with, "That brings up something. What do you EXACTLY do at the Motorworld?"<p>

Responding with a laugh, Pasadena replied, "It is kinda stressful. I work as one of those people that just happen to help with directions, or if people have questions."

"Sooooo, you would be like a helpful survey taker I take it?" After finishing his question, Crash chuckled while raising an eyebrow.

"Something like that," the possum answered with a following smile. After another few seconds of silence, Crash broke the silence with a witty question.

"You have no idea what you really work as, do you?"

"Not really."

After sharing a moment of laughter, they were stopped as Abby came back with their coffee. "Here you go," she said as she laid down their beverages. "Now what can I get for your breakfast? You can save money with a Couples' Breakfast."

Immediately, Crash and Pasadena blushed at the same time while showing signs of embarassment. Pasadena looked away and smiled while Crash rubbed the back of his neck while responding sheepishly, "Y-Yeah, sure."

"Ok, that meal comes with two eggs, two strips of bacon, two pancakes, and two sausage links. Is that good?"

"Yes," both marsupials replied at the same time.

"How would you like your eggs," the waitress had asked.

"Scrambled," both friends replied again in unison.

"Awww, that's so sweet that both of you are saying the same thing. Do you finish each other's sentences as well?"

"Oh, no" Crash responded. At the same time, Pasadena said, "Not really." After their replies, both look at each other with a "Seriously?" look. Meanwhile Abby laughed and answered, "Oh my! That is so cute! I'll be back with the food. Don't you lovebirds go anywhere!"

After Abby's departure, Crash facepalmed while Pasadena buried her face in her hands. Crash looked up with an expression on his face that said, "Ah, crap." Resting his chin back on his hand, Crash looked back at the table with a hint of irritation. Pasdena also looked up and noticed the orange hero's expression. "What's wrong?"

"I have to find a new diner."

* * *

><p><em>Back at the Bandicoot House, 10:38 A.M.<em>

"I can't believe it! Two weeks! How long does it really take to fix a car?" The words came out of an enraged Pasadena, angry at the mechanics who worked at the auto shop.

"Calm down, it could be worse you know," Crash said, hoping to calm down his friend. _How did she get this pissed off,_ he thought to himself while remembering what happened earlier.

_Flashback_

After leaving the diner after their breakfast, Crash and Pasadena headed towards the local auto shop. "So, is this friend of yours really good at fixing cars?" Pasadena asked.  
>"Sal has been working on cars ever since he was a little tyke. Well, that's from his point. Anyway, I trust the old man with fixing my cars, and they've turned out okay," Crash had replied in order to calm down his American companion. "Trust me, he's the closest to an actual professional."<p>

With a sigh, Pasadena said , "Alright. I'll take your word on it."

A couple of minutes and miles later, the two friends arrived at the shop. It looked pretty decent, as it was clean, save for the large dirty sign that read, "Sal's Auto Shop." Under the name, there was a slogan that read, "If we can't fix it, nobody can."

Reading the slogan to herself, Pasadena whispered, "Well that's confident." Crash was the first to leave the jeep, and Pasadena followed suit. As they went through the front door, they instantly heard the whirrings, drilling, and other various sounds you expect to hear at a mechanic's shop. Crash walked up to a nearby mole wearing denim blue overalls, who looked like he was in his late 50's. Due to the loud machinery, Crash had to shout to grab the mole's attention.

"SAL! HOW'S IT GOIN', PAL?"

"WHAT? OH, COME WITH ME TO THE OFFICE!"

Sal, Crash, and Pasadena went to a neaby corner, where there was an office which had windows with the shades halfway closed. After stepping in, Sal closed the door, which all of a sudden the noise was gone.  
>Pasadena looked at the door in bewilderment.<p>

"I got sound-proof glass installed a few years back. Although, the guys keep tappin' on the window instead of coming in," Sal had spoke, following with a low chuckle. "So, Crash, how can I help you?"

"Well here's the problem. My friend here, her car broke down yesterday. I was wondering if you can fix it. After all you still owe me for that one time I moved you out of the bus's way," Crash said with a smirk. As Sal laughed, he stood up and pronounced, "Well Bandicoot. I'll do it. But there's one problem." With an irritated sigh, Crash responded, "What is it?"

Sal looked at Crash with a sincere look and said, "Joe and Mike are out of town. The only guys I got are Phil and Bill. And you know how those two are." As Sal finished his sentence, he pointed out the window. As Crash and Pasadena turned their heads, they saw two twin beavers slapping each other before getting into a fight. "Dammit," Sal cursed before he picked up a small microphone and shouted, "PHIL! BILL! Quit screwing around and get back to work!" After Sal's announcement, the beavers looked at the window with fear and ran into each other before running around each other to head back to work.

Pasadena spoke to break the silence, "I'm guessing they're the bad workers."

"Yep. And with their experiences, your car will be fixed within a certain amount of time," Sal had said flatly while tapping his fingers against the desk. Pasadena, with a worried tone asked, "How long?"

"Well..."

_End of Flashback_

* * *

><p><em>Riiiiight...<em>  
>Crash scratched his head as the memory faded away. As he looked towards Pasadena, he saw that she was still very pissed.<p>

"And to top it off, I have no car to get around! How am I gonna get anywhere on this island?"

Crash nervously joked, "Well, you could always walk." After a sheepish chuckle, Crash cowered in fear as Pasadena looked at him with an angry look. "Really? You're making jokes now?" Pasadena had asked Crash a terrifying question that even Uka Uka would fear answering.

"Uhhh..no?" Crash closed his eyes waiting for the worst. After a few seconds, Crash opened his eyes to see his friend's face buried into a pillow. Feeling ridicously relieved, the orange bandicoot let out a small breath and moved near Pasadena. Seeing though as she was angry, Crash somehow knew she was really upset, or better yet more sad than angry. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Pasadena lifted her head and looked towards Crash. He saw that she was about to cry.

"Pas, what's wrong? You can talk to me. If you don't want to, I won't make you." Crash gave Pasadena a sincere look, letting her know he cared. Somehow, Crash felt that he should care. That he should do anything to help her feel better. Sadly, Pasadena shook her head without saying a word. Feeling like he needed to hear Pasadena say something, Crash said with a kind and gentle tone, "Please? Just anything."

"I thought you said-"

"I know. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna give up on you," Crash replied with a smile. Smiling back, Pasadena spoke while trembling, "Well...it's just that...If I can't get to the new park's location, I'll get fired."

Confused, Crash asked, "What? Why?" With a sniffle and a calm exhaled breath, Pasadena spoke, "I don't know what happened. I mean I did slack off, but VC was serious about it. I don't know why but I never saw him so mad. He told me my job was on the line. If I get fired, I can't pay rent and I'll be broke and jobless." Crash thought about what she said. _Damn, now I know why she's really mad. Her job, her career is on the line and I was making a joke about it. I feel like a jackass._

Crash moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. Pasadena looked deep in his eyes. So clear and ever so hopeful, she saw that Crash really meant it when he said he wouldn't give up. Resting her head on his chest, the possum looked up at him. Without looking down, Crash said, "It's okay. I'll be damned if you do get fired. Even if you do, you can stay with me. No matter how it turns out, Pas, I can tell you this: Everything's gonna be fine." As he finished his sentence, Crash looked back down and smiled at Pasadena. As she smiled back, Crash wiped away her tears. Pasadena rested her head against her friend's chest.

As Crash moved back to lie down, Pasadena kept herself in his arms. Crash reached for the remote control that rested on the coffee table in front of him and flipped on the TV. Taking in a fresh breath, Crash exhaled as he looked for a movie. As he set down the remote and looked at Pasadena, he saw that she was watching TV as well, but with a smile. Crash looked back at the TV, but not before clearing his mind. After all the time he had, Crash finally had an answer...

_I am in love with her..._

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, that's another one down. Leave a review if you liked it. See ya.<strong>


	8. Plans

Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Sorry if I've kept you guys waiting for this chapter. I've been busy with school so you know that's a drag. Anyway, with a busy schedule, I won't be able to post as much but I will finish this story. Also if any of you are wondering about "2112", I will get to that as soon as I'm done with this.**

A few days came and went and it was Friday. There were only two weeks left until Crash's family came back. At the same time, Pasadena's car would be fixed. Crash was in his room, silently staring at the ceiling again. For some reason, he began wondering how to tell his feelings to Pasadena. Could he just tell it to her straight, or should he wait for an opportunity? Questions raced through the bandicoot's mind, but yet not a single correct answer could come up. A few answers did happen to be what he was looking for, but like any other bad idea it was simply forgotten. Sighing and shaking his head, he simply thought of just simply walking to her and just tell his friend how he truly felt. Feeling that only sleep could ease his mind, slowly but surely Crash closed his eyes until...

**RING! RING! RING!**

Crash immediately sat up as he was startled by the loud ringing of his phone. Digging into his pocket, the hero pulled out his phone and pressed the talk sign. With an irritated sigh, Crash spoke into the phone's speaker. "Hello?"

"Hey buddy, where are you?" Crash instantly recognized the voice of one of his friends from town, Josh. "I'm at home. Why are you asking?"

"Did you forget about tonight?"

"What's tonight," asked Crash.

"Dude, how could you forget it's Friday? We always hangout at Louie's? Any of this ringing any bells," Josh replied with each question being more annoying than the last.

"Alright, alright, I forgot. Just be quiet for a minute." Crash took a short breather to calm down. "Ok, I forgot. Look, I don't feel like hanging out tonight."

"Oh come on. This would be the third time you skipped out on us, man. Look, we're your friends Crash. We're getting worried about you, dude. If you ain't coming, we're coming," Josh had spoken with a stern voice.

"Oh no no no, you're not. I swear, the last time you guys came over, the damn rug caught on fire," Crash said in an annoyed tone.

"It was an accident! Besides, it was pretty funny, you gotta admit that," Josh responded hoping to calm Crash down.

"You guys set my rug on FIRE," Crash had replied back with anger.

"Sorry! Look, just come on. We're worried."

"Fine. If it gets you guys to calm down, I'll go." Thinking about Pasadena, Crash spoke once more into the speaker. "Hey wait. Can I bring a friend?"

"You wanna bring a date?"

"Not a date, a friend. There's a complete difference."

"Sure, whatever. I'm not sure what the others will think."

"They'll think I'm bringing a date if you tell them that. Just say I'm coming with a friend, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you better show up, bro."

"I will. See ya." Hitting the end call button, Crash sat up and decided to tell Pasadena about his plans for the evening. Walking down the hallway, Crash kept moving until he reached his sister's door. Just before he opened the door, he heard what sounded like music playing. As he slowly opened the door, he saw Pasadena sitting on the bed, playing an acoustic guitar. Crash stood there, awed that she could play. He heard familiar chords, notes, and harmonics, but somehow it all felt new. As if he never heard such music before. Crash was dazed by the music, but what really knocked off his socks was a voice. The bandicoot never heard such a sweet voice singing. _So amazing,_ he thought.

"Oh, hey, I didn't hear you come in," Pasadena said. Knocked back into reality as the music and the singing stopped, Crash's reply was, "Huh? Oh." With a nervous chuckle, Crash spoke, "Hey I didn't know you can play. Or sing." With a giggle, the possum replied, "Oh, well I learn to play and sing when I was a kid. My dad taught me."

Crash then said proudly,"Must've been hell of a teacher, because that was wonderful." Pasadena couldn't help but blush. Curiously, she asked, "Hey Crash, can you play?" With another chuckle, except it was out of confidence, Crash responded, "Yeah, but it's been a while since I've handled an acoustic." Crash walked over and sat on the bed, and as he sat down, Pasadena handed him the guitar along with a pick. As the wooden instrument laid in his hands, the orange marsupial took a few practice strums and slides before readying his fingers on the fretboard. Before strumming, Crash cleared his throat and took in a deep breath. And then, he began playing.

_Where are you today?_  
><em>I know it's not too late<em>  
><em>To make it, so just fake it for me<em>

_And anyone who says I should just give it a rest_  
><em>Can shove it 'cause I'm above it<em>  
><em>Or at least I'd like to believe<em>

Pasadena smiled as she saw her friend playing magnificently. To her ears, he had a steady, calm voice. Seeing his fingers moving from string to string and his hand moving up and down over the sound hole, the female marsupial wondered if she could match Crash's skill or if he knew a few more things than she did. Recognizing the song he was playing and singing to, she decided to join in.

_That it's all in my head_  
><em>Yeah it's all in my head<em>  
><em>(whoa oh oh oh oh)<em>

Crash smirked as he heard Pasadena's soft voice intertwine with his. For some reason, he liked it. Their voices matched perfectly as a duet, and it led Crash to wonder if he should ask her to come see him play with his friends. The bandicoot played in a band with his friends and Crash got excited at the idea of playing for Pasadena.

_Where was I today?_  
><em>Well I was worrying away<em>  
><em>Inhibition on a mission<em>  
><em>Through my head<em>

_So I could take the other side_  
><em>Of that roller coaster ride<em>  
><em>Like I don't need you<em>  
><em>But I know I need you<em>  
><em>So instead I just went<em>  
><em>Back to bed<em>

Both friends were a bit shy to sing in front of each other, but they did feel a bit comfortable wtih each other. Crash could feel his heart beating a bit faster and so could Pasadena with her heart. Since they managed to keep singing, it gave them both confidence to continue without worrying about the other's opinion. He liked her voice, and she liked his as well.

_In hopes that it's all in my head_  
><em>Yeah it's all in my head<em>  
><em>(whoa oh oh oh oh)<em>

Crash and Pasadena both looked at each other. Both of them couldn't help but eye each other. In Crash's eyes, Pasadena was beautiful. How her light green eyes managed to give a twinkle, how her tan fur shined in the sun. And her smile, it just made him smile with such happiness. For Pasadena, Crash was handsome. He wasn't the best looking guy alive, but he was handsome. She immediately thought back to how she met him again a few days ago and remembered how he was shirtless. Crash wasn't completely muscular like Crunch, but his well toned body sent shivers down her spine. As Crash was distracted for what a brief moment seemed like eternity, his eyes went down to the guitar and his mind came back to reality, making the hero get back to the song. His sudden movements managed to help Pasadena get back to what was happening.

_And if I get to feeling like I'm not coming home_  
><em>You can sing me a song<em>

_And if I get to feeling like I'm doing this alone_  
><em>You can sing me a song<em>

_And if I get to healing but I can't do it on my own_  
><em>Would you sing me a song<em>

_And if you get to healing but can't do it on your own_  
><em>I will sing you a song<em>

Crash thought about the lyrics as he sang them. Would being with Pasadena help him forget about Tawna, his ex? He figured it would, but Crash knew that it would be wrong of him to use his friend to get over his own past. "Scars never heal," he thought, "but they don't hurt after a while." Pasadena was also thinking about the lyrics. Crash did help her feel better about her job, but she began to wonder if she could help her orange friend with his own problems. The possum figured it would be nice, after all, Crash fed her, allowed her to stay, and even towed her car. "I can return the favor somehow," she thought.

_Where are we today?_  
><em>It turns out everything's OK<em>  
><em>It's just the first time I've had nothing to say<em>

_So I've talked to myself down_  
><em>And I won't mistake the ground<em>  
><em>For a fall-through<em>

Thinking about it, Crash wondered if he could really trust his heart. "I don't want this to be another letdown," he thought. Love was tricky. Sometimes you know how it works and other times it seems like something no one could ever understand. Not to mention love can easily blind or hurt one. "Although sometimes, you have to take a chance," the orange marsupial thought to himself.

_Where are we today?_  
><em>Turns out everything's OK<em>  
><em>It's just the first time I've had nothing to say<em>

_So I've talked myself down_  
><em>And I won't mistake the ground<em>  
><em>For a fall-through<em>  
><em>'Cause I love you<em>  
><em>Yeah, I love you<em>

As Crash played the last note, he blushed with embarassment. Pasadena did the same, but she giggled as she looked at Crash rubbed the back of his head nervously. The last few lyrics were words the orange bandicoot wish he could say confidently to his possum friend. Alas, he couldn't. "That was pretty nice," Pasadena said, following up with a smile. "Yeah it was," Crash replied. "So, uhh, listen. A couple of friends of mine want me to hang out with them. And I was wondering if maybe, if you want to, you might wanna come with me?" Crash never felt so nervous, yet he thought why was he so nervous. _I'm not asking her out on a date or anything like that,_ the bandicoot thought. The world went silent as Crash waited for his guest's answer, and the only sound he had heard was the beating of his own heart. Pasadena looked down and looked back up and said, "Well, sure." Feeling so relieved, Crash had replied, "O-Okay. Well, get dressed and we'll leave as soon as we're both ready." Pasadena got up and so did Crash. Crash left the room so is friend could change, and Crash walked to his to get some clothes for his later plans of the day.

Crash didn't have to worry about taking a shower since he took one 2 hours ago and so, he decided to change. Crash wore a black T-shirt as an undershirt, a white longsleeve button up shirt (which Crash had buttoned up except for the top button), and wore a dark grey cargo jacket. He wore another pair of blue jeans with a belt and the same brown canvas shoes. Seeing as he didn't need his gloves, Crash decided not to wear them. After getting a good look in the mirror, Crash walked to the living room to wait for Pasadena.

As he waited, Crash turned on the TV to watch something in the meantime as his American companion got ready. Only a few channels and minutes later, Pasadena walked into the living room wearing a white blouse and a blue jean skirt with a matching denim jacket. Crash had noticed how Pasadena had her hair in a ponytail style as well. "You ready," he asked. "Yeah, let's go. Within minutes, the two friends went to the garage, got in Crash's jeep, and drove off to meet the bandicoot's friends.

**Again, sorry for the wait. Things have been busy, but I promise to update as fast as I can. Bye. Also, the song is (whoa oh oh oh oh oh) by The Ascetic Junkies.**


	9. The Backstage

**Author's Note: This is pretty long, but I felt I could get it all down. Enjoy.**

Chapter 9

Crash and Pasadena were on their way back to town to hang out with Crash's friends. On the way there, Pasadena was feeling a bit nervous meeting Crash's friends.

"So, what are your friends like?" she asked. Crash tilted his head a bit in confusion. How could he describe his friends? Of course, Crash felt a bit guilty about that last question. What kind of friend is somebody who can't even describe their own companions? Needless to say, Crash tried to fill Pasadena in on his buddies' descriptions.

"Well, there's Josh. He's kinda, a little, what's the word? He's a little annoying, but other than that, he's alright. There's Oscar, he's kind of the humor guy, but he's also got a short temper. There's Isaac, who's kind of a mellow person. There's also Penelope. She's kinda shy and quiet, but she is pretty smart. Almost as smart as Coco. Then there's Lisa. She's more like the cool, calm, and collected person, y'know? And last but not least, me. That's about it."

Pasadena said,"They seem pretty ok." She was a little jealous that Crash had other girls who were his friends. Yet, she seemed confused to why she got jealous. Pasadena sighed, knowing that her feelings were probably behind the envy trigger.

"No worries, Pas," Crash said. "You'll fit in just right." Nervously, the possum replied, "I hope so." Crash silently laughed to himself. Pasadena's nervousness reminded him of what it was like to make new friends. To be unsure of what kind of person to be in order to try to fit in. Most of the time, people would say, "Be yourself." However, most people would think it would be embarassing to be themselves, but nonetheless, when every strategy fails, being yourself seems like the only idea that actually works.

Within a couple of minutes, the two friends were back in the small town of Wumpa Villa. Crash drove the jeep into the parking lot of a building that seemed to look like a bar. As Pasadena got out of the car, she read the neon sign out front that said, "The Backstage." Out of curiosity, she was about to ask when Crash said, "Don't worry, you'll know what it means when we get in." Pasadena was surprised as if Crash could read her mind, but she shrugged it off and proceeded to enter the building as Crash held the door open for her like a gentleman.

Inside the building, the Backstage really did look like a bar. It had a said bar, along with a couple of tables and booths and chairs. There were also 3 pool tables where the locals would play billiards, a dart board that rested on the wall near the bar, a neon-lit jukebox that sat a few inches away close to the dart board, and along the wall were a few arcade stations. As Pasadena try to figure out the meaning of the building's name, she saw her answer. On the far side, straight from the bar, there was a stage. On the stage, there were a couple of instruments already set, as if a band was to play later today. There were three guitars, two electric and one that was possibly a electric acoustic. Next to the guitars was a bass guitar, and behind the string quartet were the drums, resting on a part of the stage that seemed a bit raised. On the left side there was a keyboard, and on the right side, what appeared to be a sound system. In front of each instrument there was a stand and a mic resting on the top of the stand.

"Oh," Pasadena thought simply. As Crash walked towards the bar, the bartender who was facing the drinks, turned around. "Hey, look who's back!" The bartender appeared to be a large, round koala who wore a white t-shirt with a small grease stain on his left sleeve. Other than his torso, the man wore black pants and wore a white apron. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties based on the sound of his voice. Crash walked up to the koala and said,"Hey, Louie. How you've been man?" With a laugh, Louie replied, "Oh, I'm good. Anyway it's good to see ya, Crash. It's been a while hasn't it?" With a chuckle, Crash responded, "Yeah, I've been busy. So, the gang's here?" Louie pointed to a table that was a few feet away and shouted, "Guys! Look who's here!" Immediately, a group of five other animals which consisted of a tasmanian devil, a kangaroo, an emu, a lizard, and another bandicoot, around the same age Crash was, looked over at the bar and saw their friend. "Hey man! Get over here," shouted the tasmanian devil. Crash procceeded to walk over to the group. "Hey guys. What's goin' on?" As Pasadena walked over, Crash took notice and said, "Guys, this is Pasadena. She's-" Before Crash could finish, the emu said, "Awww, Crash brought a date!"

Immediately blushing, Crash said, "Oh, well actually she's just a friend staying over for a couple days." After Crash's statement, the group giggled with the bandicoot being the only one confused. Within a few seconds, Crash realized his mistake. "Oh come on! It's nothing like that," Crash spoke before looking at Pasadena and said, "No offense. Uhhh...What I meant was-"

"It's alright. We all get it," Pasadena replied before looking toward the group and simply said, "Hi." As the hero caught a sigh of relief, Crash pointed out and said, "Pas, that's Oscar, the tasmanian devil. Josh is the kangaroo, Penelope is the emu, Lisa is the bandicoot, and Isaac is the gecko." The possum shook hands with each of her friend's companions in the order Crash pointed out.

"Anyway, since we're done with introductions," Josh had said before shifting himself into a more comfortable position and continued, "We're playing tonight, Crash. That's why we invited you bro."  
>Immediately, Crash's ears perked up. "That's why? I thought we're here just to hang out."<p>

"We are, but we'll be playing in a few once we get an audience goin'." As Josh finished his sentence, he leaned toward and said, "So, in honor of you coming back, you get to pick the songs. Just so you know, we're playing three tonight." With a smile, Crash thought about what he should pick. He knew two he wanted to play, but as for the last one, he thought. As his gaze settled on Pasadena, the bandicoot thought about his feelings and decided perhaps that would be the best way to express his feelings. "Alright, it's a plan."

_1 Hour Later_

As the Backstage began to fill up, it began to really fill up. Pasadena had overheard that many people were there to see Crash play again. _Crash must be the local rockstar,_ she thought and laughed a bit at the thought. Within minutes of finding a seat, a spotlight shined on the stage, and Louie walked up.

"Alright, alright. I see we got a full house tonight," the elder bartender had spoken. "Now in case you're wondering, yes, he's back." With Louie's statement, Pasadena nearly covered her ears as the crowd shouted a loud cheer. Crash really was a local celebrity. "Alright, settle down. Enjoy the show." As the crowd settled down, Louie stepped off stage and the spotlight was joined by four more spotlights, as each light directed its bright ray toward each instrument. Soon, the band members walked in, and Pasadena saw Crash walking toward the right side picking up one of the electric guitars in the process. Crash was joined by Oscar who walked toward the drums, Lisa who picked up the bass, Josh who went to the mic where Louie once stood, Isaac went to the keyboard, and Penelope walked to the sound system.

"Hey," Josh spoke and the audience replied with cheers and claps. Josh then pointed towards Crash and said, "Look who's back, everybody." The audience cheered once more, and Crash gave a friendly wave. As the lights died down, Oscar shouted, "One, two, three, four!" The band then proceeded to play, and Pasadena joined with the crowd in cheering with joy, pride, and excitement.

_If you're listening, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
><em>_Sing it back, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>String from your tether unwinds (String from your tether unwinds)<br>Whoa oh, whoa oh  
>Up and outward to bind (Up and outward to bind)<br>Whoa oh, whoa oh_

_I was spinning free, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>With a little sweet and simple numbing me.<em>

_Are you listening? whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>Sing it back, whoa oh oh oh oh oh<br>So tell me what do I need (tell me what do I need)  
>Whoa oh, whoa oh<br>When words lose their meaning (When words lose their meaning)  
>Whoa oh, whoa oh<em>

_I was spinning free, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>With a little sweet and simple numbing me.<br>Yeah, stumble till you crawl, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>Sinking into sweet uncertainty<em>

_(Are you listening? Are you listening?)_

_If you're listening, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>If you're listening, are you listening?<br>Sing it back, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>If you're listening, are you listening?<br>I'm still running away (I'm still running away)  
>Whoa oh, whoa oh<br>Won't play your hide and seek game (your hide and seek game)  
><em>_Whoa oh, whoa oh_

_I was spinning free, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>With a little sweet and simple numbing me.<br>What a dizzy dance, whoa oh oh oh oh oh  
>This sweetness will not be concerned with me.<br>No the sweetness will not be concerned with me.  
>No the sweetness will not be concerned with me.<em>

As the song came to an end, the crowd screamed wildly. The band members were just smiling as they waved and threw up rock signs. From Crash's view, he saw Pasadena cheering and smiling at him. Crash smiled back as he saw that she was impressed by his talent. Crash never felt so great in his life. Playing with his best friends and playing for the girl he liked made Crash pretty happy for coming down to the Backstage.

As the band set down their instruments, Josh spoke to the audience,"We're gonna take a quick break, and we'll be back in a bit to play again." The audience then turned back to their activities around the bar and Pasadena decided to wait for the band to come back.

Behind the curtain, the rest of the band was stoked to be playing again, and they were happy to have their lead guitarist back. "Crash, I'm glad you came back, dude. We were this close," Josh said and made his fingers into a gesture where the thumb and the index finger were close but not touching,"to replacing you. I'm just kidding."

"I'm glad I came back then. Even though you meant it as a joke, I'm really glad you convince me to come here tonight," Crash said. As the hero was about to walk back on stage, Lisa grabbed him. "Whoa, Lisa, what are you doing?" Lisa looked at Crash, smiled and said,"I know you like her. I saw the way you looked at her while we were playing." Crash was not suprised by Lisa's response, as she could figure out what someone was feeling. A bit embarassed, the bandicoot couldn't help but blush a bit, which made Lisa squeal and said,"Oh my God! You do like her!" Crash then spoke immediately, "Okay okay! Sheesh, keep it down, would ya? So I do like her. But I don't th-"

"Trust me, Crash, she likes you too." Baffled at his friend's statement, Crash simply asked, "How do you know?" With a laugh, Lisa replied,"Believe me, a girl knows when a girl likes a guy. Based from my point, she really likes you. Why not ask her out?" Before Crash could respond, Isaac came out of nowhere."Yeah, why not? She really seems like a nice girl." Sighing, Crash said,"I don't know. You guys know why it's hard from my point." Isaac rolled his eyes and said, "Crash, you can't dwell on your breakup with Tawna to haunt you forever. It happened a long time ago, and you should get over it." The hero then crossed his arms and spoke with a irritated tone, "It's easy to say something like that when you're not on the receiving end. I went through three, count 'em, three fucking islands to save her. And what happens? In the end, she dumps me for some Mafia-looking punk. You know what? Forget this, let's just play the damn show." Crash then stomped back to the front stage where the waiting audience screamed in joy. As Lisa walked by Isaac, she said, "You can be a real jerk, you know that?" Isaac then rolled his eyes and followed Lisa back to the stage.

Pasadena clapped and whistled as her friend came back, but this time, Crash stepped up to the center mic. _They probably have no idea what his voice sounds like,_ she thought. She saw Crash rubbed the back of his neck, but as he finished he put on a smile and looked at his friends who nodded at him. Again, Oscar gave the countdown and the band began to play.

_Do you memorize theatrical lines_  
><em>That seem to lead them in<em>  
><em>Play the role with a good girl heart<em>  
><em>Hide the tangled webs within<em>

_Who was it that led you on,_  
><em>and makes you want to hurt me so?<em>  
><em>Who do you want to forget,<em>  
><em>That forgot you long ago?<em>

_Do you still feel him_  
><em>Calling in the air tonight<em>  
><em>Do you still feel it<em>  
><em>Seems like you've done this before<em>

_You make breaking hearts look so easy (seems like you've done this before)_  
><em>You've got breaking hearts all but down (and you've done this, you've done this before)<em>  
><em>You make stealing hearts look so easy (where is the girl I adore?)<em>  
><em>You've got breaking up all but down (and I can't love a thief anymore)<em>

_Do you collect the souls you've lost_  
><em>In the top of your dresser drawer<em>  
><em>Count the number of tears displaced<em>  
><em>On lonely bedroom floors<em>

_A machine where your heart once was_  
><em>Slowly takes the place of you<em>  
><em>Only hold the memories now<em>  
><em>Of a love I thought I knew<em>

_Do you still feel him_  
><em>Calling in the air tonight<em>  
><em>Do you still feel it<em>  
><em>Seems like you've done this before<em>

_You make breaking hearts look so easy (seems like you've done this before)_  
><em>You've got breaking hearts all but down (and you've done this, you've done this before)<em>

_You make stealing hearts look so easy (where is the girl I adore?)_  
><em>You've got breaking up all but down (and I can't love a thief anymore)<em>  
><em>You make breaking hearts look so easy You've got breaking hearts all but down<em>  
><em>You make breaking hearts look so easy (seems like you've done this before)<em>

_The best you could hope to be is now just a bittersweet memory  
>And you make breaking hearts look so easy.<em>

Crash looked down as the band finished the song. As he looked back up, the audience cheered. It brought a small smile to the bandicoot, and he just gave a wave before walking back behind the curtain. Pasadena was the only one in the crowd who knew how Crash really felt. Without even telling her a word, the orange hero made it clear that his heart was broken before. Pasadena felt pity for her friend, and if she could, she would try to comfort Crash. Alas, she could not, but perhaps her friend would talk about it later. Feeling a bit thirsty, the possum made her way to the bar where she ordered a water. As she waited, she saw someone who looked familiar. A tall, blonde, female bandicoot was the only description she could get from her view. Trying to remember where she had seen this person before, Pasadena walked back to her table and waited for the band to come out again. Remembering that Josh had said they were playing three, Pasadena wondered how Crash would end the night.

_He seemed happy at first, then he was sad. I hope Crash feels better this time..._

Behind the curtains, Crash waited patiently for the others. He took the time to think about how he could wish he could just easily tell his feelings to Pasadena. However, he kept imaging some scenario to which Pasadena rejected his feelings, or that she would be mad at him for not accepting hers when they were younger. But as every scenario ran through his head, only one thought kept popping in his head. They were together, in each other's arms. Crash didn't care about the outcome, as long as he held her when he said what his heart desired most, that was the only thing that mattered. Soon, Josh tapped the bandicoot's shoulder and Crash walked foward. Instead of picking up the electric guitar, Crash picked up the acoustic and proceeded foward to the microphone. The crowd waited silently, and Crash spoke into the mic.z  
>"I like to dedicate this one to a friend of mine..."<p>

_Talkin to the songbird yesterday_  
><em>Flew me to a place not far away<em>  
><em>She's a little pilot in my mind<em>  
><em>Singin songs of love to pass the time<em>  
><em>Gonna write a song so she can see<em>  
><em>Give her all the love she gives to me<em>  
><em>Talk of better days that have yet to come<em>  
><em>Never felt this love from anyone<em>

_She's not anyone_  
><em>She's not anyone<em>  
><em>She's not anyone<em>

_A man can never dream these kind of things_  
><em>Especially when she came and spread her wings<em>  
><em>Whisper in my ear the things I'd like<em>  
><em>Then she flew away into the night<em>  
><em>Gonna write a song so she can see<em>  
><em>Give her all the love she gives to me<em>  
><em>Talk of better days that have yet to come<em>  
><em>Never felt this love from anyone<em>

_She's not anyone_  
><em>She's not anyone<em>  
><em>She's not anyone<em>

As the audience clapped and whistled once more, Crash gave a bow before heading back with his friends. Pasadena sat at her table, amazed. She couldn't help but smile. _I think he's in love with me, and I think I'm in love with him as well._

Crash returned from the curtains and hopped off the stage to meet Pasadena. As he walked up to his friend, he asked, "So ready to go?"

"Yeah. Crash, the show was amazing," Pasadena spoke and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for the song," she whispered as she left the building. Crash followed behind while touching his cheek and smiled to himself. "See ya, Louie," Crash said to the old bartender while giving him a wave. "Goodnight, hero," Louie responded, followed by a laugh. Crash walked to his car where Pasadena was waiting for him. After getting into the vehicle, Crash and Pasadena both drove off back to the Bandicoot home, where the love between them grew stronger, and neither one of them couldn't hold their feelings for each other back any longer.

**Author's Note: Another one down. The songs in order are "Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World, "Breaking" by Anberlin, and "Songbird" by Oasis.**


	10. Letting It All Go

**Author's Note: To the reviewers, thanks. Your comments mean a lot to me, especially since this is my first fanfic. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't worry, we're getting there.**

Chapter 10

It was the next day. The sun was rising, and it seemed like a beautiful day. Inside the Bandicoot home, Crash was awake and tying his shoes. It was only 6:32 in the morning, which was completely unusual for the orange marsupial. He wasn't awake until around 9 or 10, but today he woke up early. Crash finished tying his shoes, and was prepared to go for a walk. Usually people went for a walk for exercise or just for a form of recreation, but the bandicoot was going to clear his mind. As he exited his room, he walked over to his sister's room to check on his friend. Walking into the room very slowly, he went in to find Pasadena was still asleep. He walked over, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "I'll be back in a bit." After he left and close the door, he went back into his room to grab his iPod, and proceeded to leave the house.

As he closed the door to his home, Crash did a bit of stretching. He then browsed through his iPod to find a song. After a few seconds of browsing, he found something and proceeded to walk into the forest.

_I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut_  
><em>My weakness is that I care too much<em>  
><em>And my scars remind me that the past is real<em>  
><em>I tear my heart open just to feel<em>

"I'm leaving you," she said. As his girlfriend (or better yet, ex-girlfriend) said those words, Crash immediately felt that the world lost its meaning. "What?" As Crash felt confused, she said again, "I'm leaving you." At that point, Crash began to pour his heart out to her, begging her not to go. As she kept denying his feelings, he asked, "There's someone else, isn't there?" She said she fell for someone else, and that he made her happy. He could give her anything she wanted, and so, Tawna chose Pinstripe. Heartbroken, Crash felt his world, made of glass, shattered and broken. "I'm sorry, Crash."

_Drunk and I'm feeling down_  
><em>And I just wanna be alone<em>  
><em>I'm pissed cause you came around<em>  
><em>Why don't you just go home<em>

_Cause you channel all your pain_  
><em>And I can't help you fix yourself<em>  
><em>You're making me insane<em>  
><em>All I can say is<em>

Another time, their paths crossed again. Crash tried to avoid her, but nonetheless, she found a way to get back in his life. "Hey Crash, how you feeling? Pinstripe is doing so wonderful, so well, so...blah blah blah." Needless to say, Crash shut her out from his mind, but she kept coming back. He only put on a fake smile and said he was doing good as well, but the pain never hides itself. One day, he lost it. Every compliment she gave about Pinstripe drove him mad. "Why are you doing this to me? I thought I moved on, but you keep me from moving on when you talk about him! Don't you know how much you hurt me? How bad I felt when you never even bothered to talk to me? You keep adding on to the pain, and I'm just sick and tired of your bullshit!" That day, Crash never looked back as he left.

_I tear my heart open,_  
><em>I sew myself shut<em>  
><em>My weakness is that I care too much<em>  
><em>And our scars remind us that the past is real<em>  
><em>I tear my heart open just to feel<em>

_I tried to help you once_  
><em>Against my own advice<em>  
><em>I saw you going down<em>  
><em>But you never realized<em>

_That you're drowning in the water_  
><em>So I offered you my hand<em>  
><em>Compassions in my nature<em>  
><em>Tonight is our last stand<em>

"You saved me," she said as she held him in her arms. This was a long time ago, back when Crash first saved the world. And he saved her as well. He just smiled as he couldn't speak at that time. He just kissed her, and boy did that kiss felt amazing. But when he thought back to that moment, the bandicoot swore that her eyes were open the whole time. She just went with it. He should've known there was something going on when she looked back at the island. However, he wasn't paying attention, as his gaze set on the sunset, thinking of their "future" together. There was nothing. He just didn't know it.

_I tear my heart open,_  
><em>I sew myself shut<em>  
><em>My weakness is that I care too much<em>  
><em>And our scars remind us that the past is real<em>  
><em>I tear my heart open just to feel<em>

_I'm drunk and I'm feeling down_  
><em>And I just wanna be alone<em>  
><em>You shouldn't ever come around<em>  
><em>Why don't you just go home?<em>

_Cause you're drowning in the water_  
><em>And I tried to grab your hand<em>  
><em>And I left my heart open<em>  
><em>But you didn't understand<em>  
><em>But you didn't understand<em>  
><em>Go fix yourself<em>

Each day since their breakup, Crash had hoped to never feel that pain again. It came back when she visited after his statement about how he felt. "He broke up with me. Crash, I made a mistake. Please take me back, I'm sorry." Unfortunately, she was at Crash's word. Could he forgive her? Could he finally have the happiness he once had again? He did none of those things as he said, "You have no idea how long I waited for this. No. You had a chance, and now I remind you of a mistake you will regret for the of your life. Fix your own problem, because I'm done with fixing ours." At that moment, with tears in her eyes, she begged for his companionship back. "Get away from me! You may look like an angel, but you don't have the heart of one! And you'll never have mine ever again. Good luck with your pathetic life, Tawna." As she ran off, Crash turned with a few tears falling down his face, and whispered an apology. "I'm sorry, Tawna."

_I can't help you fix yourself_  
><em>But at least I can say I tried<em>  
><em>I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life<em>  
><em>I can't help you fix yourself<em>  
><em>But at least I can say I tried<em>  
><em>I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life<em>

_I tear my heart open,_  
><em>I sew myself shut<em>  
><em>My weakness is that I care too much<em>  
><em>And our scars remind us that the past is real<em>  
><em>I tear my heart open just to feel<em>

Fate brought them face to face once more. "Hey," she said. At that point, Crash apologized for what he said. He then explained how he felt over time about them. She apologized for her mistakes and her actions. They talked for a while, and when they were about to leave, Tawna kissed him once more. Tears dropped from her eyes, making the kiss taste sweeter. Even though he enjoyed tasting her lips once more, it felt completely wrong. Crash pulled away and apologized, with her doing the same, explaining that she did it to see if there was any possible chance of them together. But they both shared their thoughts to find that there was nothing, and that there was probably never anything to begin with. Forgiving each other, they shared their final minutes talking about the past and what could've been. "Goodbye, Crash Bandicoot," she whispered as she gave him once last kiss before leaving. "Good luck, Tawna," he said before finally moving on. The scars may last forever, but the pain does go away.

_I tear my heart open,_  
><em>I sew myself shut<em>  
><em>My weakness is that I care too much<em>  
><em>And our scars remind us that the past is real<em>  
><em>I tear my heart open just to feel<em>

Crash tried to shrug off his memories. Thinking about his past made him angry and sad. Could he have saved something between them? Or could it just lead to another fallout? As he walked, Crash looked around and found himself in an open field. Taking the time to think to himself, he wondered about their talk, and wondered again what could've been. Alas, he figured that she had completely moved on, while he was still lingering in the past. The bandicoot continued his way through the field, and thought about his friend, who was probably still asleep. He did love her, but he thought about what would happen if they broke up. He would still want to be friends at least, and at the time, he knew that all he could want is just for her to be happy. Even if it meant she was happy with another man.

Deep down, Crash knew he would always love her no matter what. Reaching a tree that stood alone in the field, Crash decided to take a small break. Still thinking about Pasadena, the orange hero pondered on how he should reveal his feelings. Closing his eyes, he tried to find peace in the silence. As he felt a bit better, he opened his eyes. As he did, the bandicoot saw his friend in front of him. He looked deep into her eyes, and became lost in a light green sea of beauty. He moved foward slowly, and she did the same. As they moved closer, both their eyes began to close. They were in very few inches away, and as Crash moved foward, he kept moving until he fell foward. Looking up, he saw that Pasadena wasn't there anymore. "Pas? Where are you?" Crash looked around to see she wasn't anywhere, and he became afraid as he was alone. Standing up, he looked around once more, only to lean back against the tree and close his eyes once more. He felt stupid for asking, and thought he was going crazy about having a hallucination.

Opening his eyes, Crash decided it was time to go home. As he left the field, he looked back at the tree before moving on. As he continued to walk, he walked until he saw his home from a distance, due to him being on top of a hill. Before moving, the orange hero sat down to look at the sunrise. He would forget how beautiful his home was at sunrise, and it would take looking at one to remember its meaning. He loved the sunrise just as much as he loved sunsets. Where there was an ending, there was always a beginning. Crash then took out his iPod, and clicked on the Shuffle setting. After a few seconds of silence, a song began to play. Recognizing the song, Crash remembered how he would listen to it to help forget any bad memories.

_You swear you recall nothing at all_  
><em>That could make you come back down<em>

_You made up your mind to leave it all behind_  
><em>Now you're forced to fight it out<em>

_You fall away from your past_  
><em>But it's following you<em>

Looking to his left, he saw Tawna. Thinking he was having a hallucination, he looked back to the sun. Crash shook his head, and asked, "What are you doing here?" With a smile, his ex said, "Oh, I just came to see if you're still thinking about me. Apparently you are." With a heavy sigh, Crash spoke, "I'm trying not to. It's not that easy." With a laugh, Tawna replied, "Nothing is ever easy. I thought you knew that. Especially since nothing ever seems easy on your adventures." It never did seem easy for the orange bandicoot. When was anything ever easy for him? Tawna moved closer and said, "Do you really love her?" Immediately, Crash looked at her and said, "With every single ounce of my heart." Tawna gave a flirtatious smirk, and wrapped her arm around Crash's neck. "That much, huh? I gotta admit, I was pretty foolish for letting you go." Smilling, the male bandicoot spoke, "You were. You're past it now, aren't ya?" Letting out a breath of acceptance, "Yeah. At least from your view. After all, I'm a fragment of your imagination." They both laughed.

_You left something undone, it's now your rerun_  
><em>It's the one you can't erase<em>

_You should have made it right, so you wouldn't have to fight_  
><em>To put a smile back on your face<em>

_You fall away from your past_  
><em>But it's following you<em>  
><em>You fall away from your past<em>  
><em>But it's following you<em>

"Well, she's waiting for you. But what are you waiting for?" Crash looked toward the sun, and noticed it was beginning to reach its point of being too bright to look at. Covering his eyes, he looked back at Tawna and said, "I'm scared. What if, you know, us, happens between me and her?" Tawna looked at him and said, "That's a risk you'll have to take. No more wondering about telling her how you feel, Crash. Just tell her. Never wonder what it could've been. I made the mistake of leaving you. Don't make the mistake of leaving her."

_You fall away_  
><em>You fall away<em>

_Something I've done that I can't outrun_  
><em>Something I've done that I can't outrun<em>  
><em>Maybe you should wait maybe you should run<em>  
><em>But there's something you've said that can't be undone<em>

Crash then stood up. As he made a step foward, he turned around to face Tawna. She walked up and hugged him. Feeling something, he hadn't felt in a while, he hugged back. With an exhaled breath of uncertainty, Tawna then spoke. "You're still holding on. Crash, if this is what you want, just keep holding on. But if you really love her, let go." As she finished her sentence, she looked to see Crash still hugging her. Looking into his eyes, Crash broke the trance when he held her closer and said, "I forgive you." With a smile, she said, "Say those three little words, Crash."

_And you fall away from your past_  
><em>But It's following you<em>  
><em>You fall away from your past<em>  
><em>But it's following you<em>  
><em>You fall away from your past<em>  
><em>But it's following you<em>  
><em>You fall away from your past<em>  
><em>But it's following you<em>

Every second seemed like an eternity as she waited for his response. Crash stopped hugging her, looked into her eyes, and turned around. "I forget you. The whole time I was thinking about what I wanted with you. I still want those things, but with her instead. She's everything I want, and everything I need. That being said, I know now, she is the one I want. I love her. I'll do anything to make her happy. But to start with her, I have to finish with you. And so, I'm done. I forget you, Tawna." As he looked back, she was no longer there. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the long burden the orange hero carried for a very long time had been lifted. He took a step back, only to fall. As everything slowed down, he opened his eyes to see Tawna trying to reach him. Instead of reaching back, Crash let himself fall.

_You fall away_  
><em>It's following you...<em>

Crash tumbled and rolled as he fell down the hill. Within a few seconds, he reached the bottom. Opening his eyes, the bandicoot felt no pain. He began to laugh. The pain was finally gone. There was no injuries to worry about. As he sat up, Crash looked around, only seeing his home within a small walking distance. Standing up, he dusted himself off. As he began to walk, he had a smile on his face. Now, there was nothing to fear any longer. Knowing what he wanted, he set his sights on his house. Thinking of her waiting for him, Crash smiled to himself and whispered, "I'm coming, Pas. Don't worry, I'm on my way..."

**The songs in order are "Scars" by Papa Roach and "Fall Away" by The Fray. Any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to leave a review. See ya.**


	11. For You

**Author's Note: 11 chapters strong! Woohoo! Enjoy this chapter!**

_"Something's got into him. I don't know what it is, but I think his fall had something to do with it," _Pasadena thought to herself. It had been 4 days since Crash fell down the hill on Sunday, and from the possum's perspective, Crash had been acting a bit differently. Thinking he may have hurt his brain or something that had to do with his ability to think, Pasadena was trying to figure out why he had been different lately.

_"Okay, so he is acting a bit more kind, maybe even sweeter than he usually is, but I'm worried that he may be a bit delusional. Sure, we spent the last few days together having fun, but I need to know if Crash is just acting that way, or if he really means it." _It was true that the bandicoot had been strange lately, but whether it was intentional or coincidental or even on accident, Pasadena did admit to herself that the past few days she spent with her friend were pretty fun. And they did get to know each other a bit more. And there were some key moments. Along with words that he spoke that kept running through the female marsupial's mind.

_Sunday_

Pasadena remembered sitting at the table when Crash walked in. She found a book in the living room that looked interesting, and she read it as she drank her morning coffee. It became a pretty different morning when the orange hero walked in. As she was still reading the book, only when Crash said, "Hi," did she look up to see that his fur looked a bit messy, he looked a tiny bit battered, and there was a cut on his left shoulder.

"Crash, what happened to you?" As Pasadena got up to check on Crash, he simply said, "Oh, don't worry. Just had a little fall, I'll be fine." Checking his torso for any signs of any serious injury, Pasadena did not find any, and the only concern was the cut on his shoulder. "Well, you're okay. But I think we should find a bandage for that cut," she spoke, only to see Crash shaking his head. "It's no big deal, Pas. Really."

With a sigh, Pasadena said, "Sorry, Crash. You just walked in, and when I saw you, I kinda got worried." With a smile, Crash walked up to her, hugged her, and kissed her forehead. "No worries, Pas. I'll be fine."  
>Pasadena felt reassured as the orange hero wrapped her in his arms. Even though Crash was the one who got injured, she was the one who felt safe. His warmth felt like an impenetrable shield, and the possum felt completely harmless. As he pulled away, she looked at him and smiled. "Ok. Now about that bandage..."<p>

_Monday_

They had spent the previous day mostly watching TV. The next day, they did the same thing. However, it was a bit different that day, as they spent the entire day watching romance movies. She was surprised that Crash didn't even feel the slightest ounce of being uncomfortable. They would only get up from the couch to visit the restroom or to satisfy their hunger or thirst. Other than those two things, the two friends never left for anything else. Pasadena remembered starting the day, she practically sat next to him, and she ended up resting her head on his shoulder by the late afternoon, which was around 6 to 7. Crash never really moved, unless placing your arm on the couch's arm to rest and support your head counted as moving.

Throughout the movies, they felt a bit closer to each other. Whenever a moment of sadness caused Pasadena to cry, Crash would put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. The possum responded to the bandicoot's actions by touching and holding his hand. As each movie explored every possible aspect of romance, whether it be about finding love, forgetting the past, struggling with a broken heart, forgiving one another, or understanding the meaning of true love, it brought both friends closer than ever before.

Near midnight, it was time to call it a day. Crash was about to leave the couch when he noticed Pasadena had fallen asleep. With a light chuckle, he stood up to pick up his sleeping guest. He lifted her bridal style, and proceeded to take her to his sister's room. After laying her down, Crash whispered, "Good night." As he was about to pull away and leave, she wrapped her left arm around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said, and Crash responded by hugging her back, replying, "You're welcome. Sweet dreams." As he left, Pasadena went back to sleep, only with a smile on her face.

_Tuesday_

As Monday ended, Tuesday began. Crash was not lazy that day, as he decided to clean his house. By that, he meant pretty much just sweeping the floor, throwing out the trash, cleaning the kitchen, raking leaves, and cleaning out the gutters. Pasadena didn't want to feel like a free loader, so she decided to help as well. Spending most of the sunlit hours helping her friend clean his house did help the female possum to clear her mind a bit. She did feel a bit better by helping. As she was sweeping around the leaving room, she was caught off guard when she looked out the window. Crash was raking the leaves, but he was also listening to his iPod at that time as well. It wasn't what he was doing that got her attention, but rather how he was looking. Crash wasn't one to extremely work out like Crunch, but the orange bandicoot did seem really fit.

Pasadena could not help but stare. To her, he was very attractive, and what made him even more appealing was the fact he was sweating. Sure, sweat isn't the greatest thing, but there's something about seeing the one you like work really hard that makes them eye-candy. Seeing her crush work hard made Pasadena forget what she was doing. Seeing his muscles made Pasadena think of Crash holding her in his arms. His strength was very strong, but he was gentle and showed a bit of intimacy whenever he looked in her eyes. Thinking back to those times made Pasadena wish she could just go back and kiss Crash. As she became lost in her thoughts, she came back to reality when she dropped the broom and the broom made a loud smack against the floor.

Immediately recognizing what she was doing, the possum did feel relieved when she saw that Crash hadn't noticed her at all. She tried to shake the idea of wanting to be in his arms again, but it only left her wanting more. It caused her to think, and she only thought of spending more time with him. When the day came to an end, Crash thanked her for her help. "It's no problem. After all, you would've helped me if you were staying with me, right?" Jokingly, he replied, "Depends on the mess." Crash laughed and said, "I'm kidding. Of course I would help you." She proceeded to hug him, and at that point she began to think of them together. She wasn't the only one to think of them as a couple, as Crash was thinking the exact same thing. Nonetheless, both friends said goodnight and went to bed. However, both laid awake for a while, thinking about the other.

_Wednesday_

Crash didn't really seem like the type of guy to swim. So, the bandicoot made a bit of a surprise when he asked Pasadena if she wanted to go to the beach. She figured, why not? Warm sun, nice waves, and it did feel like a pretty great day to go out. Crash was already prepared to go, but Pasadena insisted he go ahead and that she'll catch up. It took almost half an hour, but she got ready and walked to the beach. The possum thought it was pretty cool that the beach wasn't very far from her friend's house. It only seemed at least 4 minutes away. When she got to the beach, she was astonished at the view. It seemed very relaxing. Looking around the beach, she found Crash sitting and looking at the ocean. When she approached, she said, "Hey." As Crash turned his head, his eyes widened. With all his might, he tried not to stare. His friend was wearing a white bikini, and Crash had discovered that Pasadena really had a nice body. "So, we gonna sit here, or what," she asked playfully. "You go ahead, I still need a little sunscreen," the hero said nervously. "Ok. I'll be in the water."

As she ran toward the water, Crash's urge to look came back. _Oh crap. Don't look. Don't look. Don't lo-Oh my God, she looks fantastic. Her beautiful blonde hair, her nice smile, and a rockin' body-STOP! Focus! Fight it! _Needless to say, Crash felt completely tortured. Having to spend the day with a very beautiful woman made Crash hate himself. He was hoping to be confident and bold, but his plan backfired as his friend, the girl he loved, had shown up wearing a bikini. However, a bit of bravery came to him when he decided to teach her how to surf. Crash himself was an experienced surfer, on account the time he surfed on a board that had an engine, but it was pretty close. It took a few hours, but by the beginning of sunset, Pasadena had learned how ride a surfboard. Despite a few falls in the water, she had come out pretty decent.

Before returning to home, they decided to stay a bit to watch the sun begin its course to the other side of the planet. "It looks really amazing. I bet you enjoy this view every day," she said. Crash smiled and nodded in agreement. As they looked at the sunset, Crash wrapped his arm around Pasadena. As his arm settled down, she leaned her head against his should. The orange bandicoot seemed like a very comfortable pillow. "C'mon, let's go home." With a playful smile, she said, "I'm too tired. Carry me." Pasadena meant it as a joke, but Crash seemed to think other wise. He practically carried his friend to the house. After dinner, they both said goodnight and went to sleep.

_Thursday_

Up to that day, Pasadena found it very sweet that Crash wanted to spend time with her. This day, however, Crash had no plans. When she walked into his room, she saw Crash lying on his bed listening to his headphones. "What are you doin'?" She guessed Crash could hear her as he perked his head up. "Nothing really. Feeling pretty lazy today. Why, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought you may have had plans." As she began to leave the room, Crash spoke, "Wait." Pasadena turned around as Crash got up from the bed while pulling down his headphones. "Is there something wrong?" Pasadena walked over and sat down on the bed next to him. "Well. I thought you might wanna do something." Crash then asked, "Well, you have something on your mind?" Pasadena opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What was there to do? The possum felt helpless as no idea came to mind. "Huh. I guess not." Reassuring her with a pat on the back, the heroic marsupial said, "Hey, I don't blame you. This island may seem like there's a lot to do, but trust me; living here for many years, there's not much to offer." Both friends sighed. As Pasadena looked at Crash, he got an idea. "Wait a sec. I got something." The bandicoot got up and walked over to his dresser where he got out a medium-size brown book. "Here, look at this."

Pasadena took the book and opened it. As she saw the contents, the possum was amazed at what was inside. The book's contents contained sketches that Cras had drawn. He drew a few views of the island, his family, his friends, and he even sketched his own art works. "Did...you draw these?" Crash had responded with a nod. "You're really good at this." Crash sat down next to his guest and said, "Yeah, well I kinda always had a thing for sketching. When I still couldn't talk, I felt that this was another way of expressing myself." Still amazed by his drawings, Pasadena then remembered Crash saying he had something. "Is this what you meant by something?" With a chuckle, the bandicoot responded with, "Something like that. But if you're okay with it..." Puzzled, the possum asked, "What do you mean?" Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, the anxious hero said, "Well. I was wondering if I could...draw you." Pasadena felt flattered, but also surprised. "O-okay, sure."

"Really? You sure you want to do this?" Pasadena nodded her head to confirm. Crash smiled and said, "Alright then. Well, uh, where do you want to be drawn?" Biting her lip, Pasadena stood up and took Crash's hand and led him to the living room. She sat on the couch and looked out the window. "Here?" Again, she nodded her head to confirm. "Okay then. Gimme a sec." Crash left and came back with a chair and two pencils. Just as he was about to sketch, Pasadena stood up and left. Just as the bandicoot was about to ask, Pasadena said, "I'll be back in a few minutes." Puzzled, the bandicoot simply waited until she came back.

"What do you think?" As he turned his head towards the direction of his friend's voice, Crash's jaw dropped. Pasadena was wearing a beautiful white dress that seemed to show her curves. "Wow," was all Crash could say as he looked upon the possum. She walked back to the couch and assumed the position she had before. "Ready," he asked, and she nodded. It took at least an hour and a half, but Pasadena sighed a breath of relief when Crash told her he was done. She came to look over at the sketch, and she was amazed. Crash drew very accurately, down to every single detail. It looked more like a photo then it did a sketch. "Crash, this is amazing. You have some really potential talent." Feeling good about himself and even feeling a bit confident, Crash had said, "Thanks. That really means a lot to me." Looking at how lovely his friend looked, the orange hero said, "You look really wonderful, Pas." The possum couldn't help but blush, and said, "Thank you."

"Hey, Pas?" Turning her head towards the bandicoot, Pasadena asked very sweetly, "Yes?" Taking a deep breath, Crash asked, "Would you like to go out and have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

_Friday_

She agreed to go with him. It was Friday. It was today. The possum looked out the window to see it was beginning to grow dark outside. It was 6:58 in the afternoon, and Crash had reserved a reservation for two at a local restaurant. True, it did seem a little odd that they were going to a restaurant that was actually a bar that happened to sell food and look a little fancy, but she really didn't seem to mind. Pasadena felt so happy to go to dinner, but she felt extremely nervous to go to dinner with Crash, mainly out of the fact she loved him. She was afraid of letting her feelings out for him, and she tried to maintain a cool level of control. As the clock hit seven, she sat up from the bed in Coco's room and looked in Coco's mirror that rested on the door that was the entrance and exit to the room. Pasadena was wearing a midnight blue dress, and had her hair tied up in a small bun. She looked in the mirror, and felt annoyed that her right bang kept getting in front of her eye. Seeing as it was hopeless, the possum left the room and went to the living room to find Crash waiting for her.

As he was watching TV, Pasadena got his attention when she clicked her heel against the wooden floor. Crash turned and his eyes widened. _Damn, how the hell does she do it? _In short, Crash was stunned by how gorgeous Pasadena looked. Crash didn't look too bad himself. He was wearing a black blazer with a white dress shirt underneath. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans, and he wore the same canvas shoes, only they were black to match his shirt and coat. Both looked absolutely amazing. "You look great," the bandicoot said to his friend. "Not too bad yourself," she replied. Both friends walked to the garage and left for town.

Arriving back in the villa, Crash drove the car to a small restaurant. When they walked in, a mongoose walked up to them. "Can I help you folks?" Crash responded, "Yes. Bandicoot, party of two." Checking his clipboard, the mongoose said in a well mannered tone, "Alright, Mr. Bandicoot. This way please." The mongoose led them to a table where there was a few utensils laid out for them, their chairs were pulled out, and a rose in a glass vase sat as the centerpiece. As they sat down, the mongoose said, "Okay, can I start you off with some drinks." Both friends asked for water and the waiter left to fetch them their drinks. After the waiter came back with their beverages, both ordered their meals after spending a few minutes looking through the menu. As the mongoose left, both Crash and Pasadena decided to talk for a bit until their food came back. They shared stories, with Crash telling his adventures and Pasadena talking about her job. They listened to each other and spoke as the other finished, and their communication level was very well.

The waiter came back with two dishes. Crash had ordered a chicken salad while Pasadena ordered a Wumpa Fruit salad. "Have you ever tried Wumpa Fruit before," Crash asked his date. Shaking her head, Pasadena replied, "Not really. Except for the Wumpa Whip, but that's the closest I've actually come to eating the actual fruit." With a small laugh, the orange hero responded, "Trust me. It's really great." The bandicoot kept true to his word, as Pasadena's eyes widened at the sweetness of the infamous fruit. "This is the greatest fruit I've ever had!" Chuckling, Crash said, "I'm glad you feel that way." As they finished their meal, the two friends were about to leave when an announcement played from a ostrich. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to announce that it is Couples' Night, and that it is time for the dance. So, if you want, please take your partner to the dance floor." Feeling a bit shy, Crash slowly turned his head towards his friend, only to see her perform the same actions as he did.

Taking a deep breath, Crash summoned the courage and said, "Before we leave, do you-I mean, would you like to dance?" The possum blushed and responded a bit nervously, "S-Sure. I love to." Crash took Pasadena's hand and guided his partner to the dance floor. As they walked towards the floor, the ostrich spoke in a smooth tone into the microphone, "Ok. We'll make this a slow one. Richard, play the music." Receiving his command, Richard, a dog, walked towards a nearby radio and hit the play button. Just as Richard was about to hit the button, Crash sheepishly confessed, "Pas. I don't know how to dance." With a smile, Pasadena said in a low tone, "Don't worry. Just...let the music guide you." As the button was pressed, the music began to play. Placing his right hand on her hip, Crash held her right hand with his left. The couple then proceeded to move in a slow fashion, gradually building up to a comfortable pace.

_If I don't say this now I will surely break_  
><em>As I'm leaving the one I want to take<em>  
><em>Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait<em>  
><em>My heart has started to separate<em>

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>Oh, oh, oh<em>

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>I'll look after you<em>

The lyrics spoke to both marsupials. Crash felt the need to confess his feelings, otherwise he would feel like a wreck. At that moment, he wanted to ask his friend to be his, but he held back. For Pasadena, she remembered she would be leaving in a week. It hurt her to think of confessing her love for the bandicoot, only to leave him. Fighting back tears, the possum stayed strong. Both friends struggled to hold their feelings, and it was amazing that they couldn't tell what the other was thinking or feeling. Over the past week, they developed a sort of bond that let each other know what the other felt. At that moment, they could not understand what the other felt.

_There now, steady love, so few come and don't go_  
><em>Will you won't you, be the one I always know<em>  
><em>When I'm losing my control, the city spins around<em>  
><em>You're the only one who knows, you slow it down<em>

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>Oh, oh, oh<em>

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>I'll look after you<em>  
><em>And I'll look after you<em>

To Crash, Pasadena did feel like the only one who could truly understand him. His family knew him very well, and his friends can describe him with pinpoint accuracy. But there was something about Pasadena that the hero felt she was the only one who know his dreams, his fears, and the only one to understand what others could not. Pasadena felt that Crash was the one person who could help her get rid of her tears, the one who could look past everything about her, and the only one who could truly make her happy. To both, their love for the other seemed to give them a new strength, a new purpose, and a new hope.

_If ever there was a doubt_  
><em>My love she leans into me<em>  
><em>This most assuredly counts<em>  
><em>She says most assuredly<em>

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>I'll look after you<em>  
><em>After you<em>

At the right time, Pasadena leaned her head against the bandicoot's chest. Crash responded by leaning his head onto hers. Taking in a deep breath, he took in her sweet scent which made him only want to hold on longer. The gentle strength in his arms brought a comfort that Pasadena never felt with anyone else. In their embrace, the two marsupials found something that was only rare to find. To some, it was something common. To others, it was something one would only find in another one. It was love.

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>Oh, oh, oh<em>

_It's always have and never hold_  
><em>You've begun to feel like home, yeah<em>  
><em>What's mine is yours to leave or take<em>  
><em>What's mine is yours to make your own<em>

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
><em>Be my baby<em>  
><em>Oh, oh, oh...<em>

As the song ended, both friends looked into each other's eyes before departing. As they drove home, there was an atmosphere of awkwardness, but deep withing themselves, they wanted to express their feelings for the other and shower the other with their love, warmth, and compassion. They wanted the other's touch so much that it felt like a drug they had become addicted on. In fear of the other's possible rejection, both friends kept their distance. When they arrived home, they went to bed immediately without sharing a word. The marsupials laid in their respective beds staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, when actually only few minutes passed. The bandicoot and the possum could not sleep, as for every time they closed their eyes, they saw each other. Thinking of each other only made them wish to confess even more.

With an angry sigh, Crash silently screamed into the pillow he laid his head on. He fought every will in his body that wanted to force him to go over to Pasadena and just be with her. The bandicoot was fighting a losing battle, as his urge got stronger, his resistance became weaker. However, the bandicoot forced himself to stay, and he shut his eyes and saw the possum once more. Deciding to just go with it, Crash forced himself to go to sleep with the image of Pasadena repeating itself in his mind.

As for his guest, Pasadena had buried her head in a pillow. She thought to herself on how she wanted Crash to be hers and only hers. She would accept becoming his, and as she kept thinking about the hero down the hall, she began to think of what she wanted to be to him. Pasadena wished to not just become Crash's girlfriend, but his mate and lover. She also wanted to be his wife, and even thought it would bring great pain, she wanted to be the mother of his children. Pasadena understood she was still young, being only 17, to even think about things this serious. However, she didn't care that she was young. She loved him. The thought of spending the rest of her life with the bandicoot only made her want to be with Crash even more.

Only thinking of each other made the two friends love the other more than they did before, and so with both no longer able to keep their feelings for each other hidden away, Crash and Pasadena both knew what they wanted to say to the other. Now, it's only a matter of time before both friends discover just how much they loved each other...

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, that's it for this chapter. The song is "Look After You" by The Fray. Just wait a little longer and the chapter you've been waiting for will arrive very soon. Peace, I'm out!<strong>


	12. My One, My Heart, My Love

**Author's Note: This is it, the moment you've been waiting for. As a warning, this chapter features a love scene, so now you know. As a heads up, this is not the final chapter, so there's a bit more to come still. Okay then, let's get this show on the road!**

**UPDATE: Turns out the first quote is a bit longer.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I <em>_am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out._**  
><strong><em> - Roy Croft<em>**

Rain clouds loomed over the skies of NSanity Island. Lightning flashed across the grey sky, followed by the loud booms of thunder. And it just so happens that one of the thunder strikes woke Crash from his sleep.

The orange hero sat up immediately in his bed. He didn't have a nightmare, but the boom from the thunder woke him up as one would wake up from a bad dream. After his realization of what the source of his wake up call was, Crash sighed and laid back down. He didn't really feel like getting back up. He felt utterly defeated by the fact he was too scared to admit his feelings to Pasadena. Whether this was a result as of a lack of sleep or because of how it kept the bandicoot up all night, either way Crash felt like a coward. He turned his head toward the nightstand to see it was 12:17 PM. Crash admitted he felt out of place without his friend who slept down the hall from him. A part of him felt like he needed her warmth, while another part of him tried to forget what the loving embrace Pasadena had whenever they hugged.

To even think that he could just try to forget it made the orange marsupial very angry with himself. His body felt cold, even though it was covered by the large blanket from his bed. Feeling restless, Crash got out of bed. He took off most of his clothes the previous night, save for the briefs. Before leaving his room, Crash grabbed another pair of jeans and looked at himself in the mirror. Many days ago when he looked in the bathroom mirror, he thought he saw a monster. Today, he saw a shadow of his former self. His eyes gave away the loss of sleep, his hair was a complete mess, and he did look a little sick. The hero felt fine, and proceeded to the bathroom. As he went in, he turned on the sink and splashed some water on his head. After rubbing his face and running his hands through his hair, Crash looked up at the mirror and saw that he did manage to cure himself a bit. His hair looked better, and he did manage to get rid of some of the sleepiness that still carried itself on him. After drying off with the help of the towel, the bandicoot made his way to the kitchen.

Pasadena was in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes. As Crash quietly walked in, he slowly made his way over. As he got closer, the possum noticed his presence, but did not move to give away her exposed position.  
>"You don't have to do that, you know," the bandicoot spoke. With a small smile, the female marsupial replied, "It's fine. Besides, most of it is already taken care of." Crash did nothing but turned around and went back to his room while saying lowly, "Ok, then." As she put the last dish away, she dried her wet hands with a paper towel and discarded the towel into a nearby trash bin. Turning around, she saw that Crash wasn't there. Knowing he went back to his room, Pasadena followed, right after grabbing a Wumpa Fruit that sat on the counter.<p>

Just as she known, Crash was in his room. He laid on his bed with his eyes closed. She had walked closer and sat on the bed. Crash opened his eyes to acknowledge his friend. Both friends spent a few seconds looking deeply into the other's eyes, before Pasadena became the first to look away. She remembered the Wumpa Fruit in her hands and handed it to Crash, who looked at the apple-shaped fruit and then at the possum. "Here. You look like you could eat something," she said with a concerned tone. The hero looked at the fruit, and slowly took it. As he was about to grab the Wumpa Fruit, his hand had touched hers. Holding her hand for a few seconds, Crash then proceeded to take the fruit and brought the sweet delicacy to his mouth. He wasn't sure whether it was the fruit's sweet juice or the kind actions of his guest, but the orange bandicoot felt like he was revived somehow. He prefered that it was Pasadena's gift, as he felt the fears that haunted and scared him for all his life had disappeared, and at that moment, the hero felt completely fearless and unstoppable. He showed no signs of of his "revival" except for the kind "Thank you," he spoke to the possum.

Pasadena said, "You're welcome." Just as she was about to stand and take her leave, Crash had asked," Would you like to stay a bit longer?" The possum stopped and turned towards Crash and had whispered, "Yes." She proceeded to crawl onto the bed, and she laid next to Crash. Both friends stared at the ceiling. Deep down within their hearts, their love for one another began to grow once more. Both wanted each other, they needed each other. Yet, their fears kept holding each other back. The silence that filled the room became intense for them. At that point, they felt as if they kept holding back, it won't lead to them saying how they feel for the other in a normal way, but rather shouting or even screaming for that matter.

The possum turned her head towards the bandicoot. He had gotten older for sure, but how he looked older amazed her. Crash's hair had grown more over his head, getting rid of the mohawk he always had, and it was replaced by what appeared to be spiky hair that seemed to flow foward. His hair looked naturally spiky instead of gelled, and it did look like a bit of a mess. Some of the spikes seemed as if they were pushed foward, while other spikes looked as if they were curved upward or curved to the side. There were only a small few that reached halfway down his forehead, and at the tip of his head, some of the spikes were curved upward. _I don't know if it's natural or not, but he can pull off the "got out of bed look," _she thought to herself. His eyes were like precious gems, shining off their invaluble worth. He had gotten a bit taller, but he was only a few centimeters, at least 2, taller than Pasadena. His adventures did leave him very fit. After all, he could run miles without having to stop for a breather. He didn't have superhero strength, but the bandicoot was a force to be reckon with, as he could carry and even toss opponents that seemed more bigger than he was. Yet, Pasadena figured Crash as a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy, but there was so much more that was beneath his outer appearance. Most of the time, he could be considered a joker, but she saw more than just a prankster's smile. He was kind, and he had a pure heart. He was creative, maybe even artistic just by seeing his drawings and sketches. Crash was more caring about others rather then himself. It's no wonder why he would risk his life to save his family and friends. Maybe it was what she saw in him, his true self who was hidden away by years of silence and solitude, that made her fall in love with the orange bandicoot.

She meant a lot to him. Crash felt like she was unlike anybody else he ever met. When they were younger, he felt that he really didn't have the time to start a relationship, so he ignored her feelings. The bandicoot did feel guilty, but he made it up when he saved Von Clutch. Despite the fact Crash ran away when he knocked out the cybernetic man's power supply, he came back and apologized for leaving. The Bandicoot family stayed for a bit, thinking they deserved a nice vacation. Over this period of time, Crash and Pasadena spent some time together, but they didn't really get the chance to really know each other. They just hung out and enjoyed the other's company. When it was time to leave, Crash did admit to himself that it was hard to leave Pasadena, since by that time he felt he was coming around. They said goodbye, without ever saying something that let the other know they planned to stay in touch. They never did. And that's why Crash did feel afraid to admit his feelings. He feared Pasadena would be angry at him for not giving her some sort of reason for not communicating. He felt ashamed. It was strange for him to feel bad. The hero felt that he broke a promise he should've made, or at least could've made. He never really forgived himself for those mistakes he made. It felt a bit ironic, how he wasn't in love with her before, but now he was, and yet he thought she didn't feel the same way.

Crash turned his head to face the one person he felt he should apologize to. She was still stuck in her own world, as it was noticeable as she stared at the ceiling. The woman he loved so much was next to him. To him, she was more than just an angel. In a way, they were both lost souls. They kept looking for their way, only to find each other. They still felt lost by themselves, but by being in each other's prescence, they felt as if they had already been found from the minute they ran into each other. He wanted everything she could possibly offer. Not any materials, not any benefits, he just wanted his friend for who she is. She understood his humor. She accepted his comments. She even shared her warmth with him. Yet, despite everything they've been through for the past few days, they felt as if they had not gotten anywhere at all. They just couldn't see it. Crash felt like the luckiest guy to have the one he wanted just laying next to him. Pasadena, from Crash's eyes, was beautiful in every way imaginable. Her mind, body, and soul were just something that could make him cry. He loved to see her smile, he hated to see her cry. And even though the hero felt like he could always be the one to save his friend, in the end, the possum would be the one who saved him. Every single part of his heart and soul begged to feel her touch, her warmth, and her lips again. Not just once more, but for the rest of eternity. Crash would give anything up to be hers, even if it meant giving up his own life. Suicide is what others would think of what he do to be with her. It was love that drove him to prove just how much he cared.

The only sounds that could be heard was the rain tapping against the window, and the thunder's booms in the distance. The beating of their own hearts filled their own ears. At that moment, they began to feel the other's beating heart synchronize with their own. As the hearts began to slowly match their rhythms, the bandicoot moved his hand toward the possum's hand. Moving closer and closer, and at last as their hands touched each other, they held the other tightly, not wanting to let go. At that exact moment, the beating matched together. Feeling each other's fingers and palms, they turned their heads towards each and slowly moved foward towards the other. There was no more hiding, no more running. There was no longer anything to be afraid of. No matter how much you try these things, love always finds a way to reach your heart.

**(Warning: The rest of this chapter contains the forementioned scene from earlier.)**

Crash and Pasadena moved their heads closer. As they did, they moved their bodies so they could face each other properly. Now laying on their sides, both friends moved closer. Within only few inches, their eyes locked and moving closer, their eyes slowly began to close. Closer and closer they moved, until their noses touched each other. He was the first to move. She followed. They moved passed the other, and soon their lips locked. Feeling the other's taste, they both let out a breath of relief through their noses. Within seconds, they moved swiftly towards each other. Pasadena wrapped her arms around Crash's neck, and the former mentioned wrapped his arms around Pasadena's hips. They rolled to where Crash was laying back down against the bed and Pasadena layed on top of him. Their change in position did not stop them from leaving the other's lips. It started out as the a simple kiss, but now the bandicoot pressed his tongue against her lips, begging for entrance. She responded by opening her mouth, and both were locked in a battle of French kissing. _She tastes so sweet, it's incredible...My God, she tastes even better than Wumpa Fruit, _Crash thought as he brought his right hand up to caress her cheek.

_He is really good at this. My heart's beating a mile a minute. _Finishing her thought, Pasadena ran her hand through the hero's hair, feeling the smooth touch it had. As her hand went through the bandicoot's hair, he responded by moving his left hand up and down her back. He received a muffled moan from the possum, thus making him want her more. They continued to kiss, only stopping to catch their breath. Crash turned the tables around by rolling so that he was on top. In an instant, he went on the attack on her neck. Kissing and licking, the bandicoot began to leave love marks on her neck, receiving more moans from Pasadena as she continued to run her hands through his mane. Wanting him more, Pasadena lowered herself and kissed his neck. The orange marsupial let out purrs and growls as her lips and tongue left hickeys on his neck. For a small while, they continued their "game" of rolling on top of each other, battling for dominance by tongue wrestling against the other's lips and necks.

_When I see your smile_  
><em>Tears run down my face<em>  
><em>I can't replace<em>  
><em>And now that I'm stronger I've figured out<em>

_How this world turns cold_  
><em>And breaks through my soul<em>  
><em>And I know, I'll find deep inside me<em>  
><em>I can be the one<em>

She wanted more of her friend, and as she rolled on top again, this time the possum caught him off guard when she took off her shirt, revealing herself in a white-silk bra. Both blushed out of embarassment. For Crash, she was the only woman he had seen in a bra. For Pasadena, she felt exposed, despite the fact her undergarment kept her chest from being shown to the bandicoot. The shame didn't last long for her, as she jumped back into battle. The hero was caught by suprise as her body rubbed against his, but the nervous feeling went away as his hands traveled up and down her bare back. (Well, almost bare.) She pressed her hands against his chest, feeling his soft fur and smooth underbelly. Crash let out a breath of nervousness as the possum moved her hands around his upper and lower torso. His body shivered, not out of the intensity of the passion they were sharing, but of joy.

_Her touch...Not even an angel of Heaven could compete with her softness._ He lead his hands to his friend's hips and began to give a massage. Feeling his strong hands, Pasadena closed her eyes and let the bandicoot's hands do their work. _He's so gentle and caring. His hands-OH! He knows what he's doing. _Letting out a moan, she said to the hero, "Crash, that feels...good." Her comment led to Crash not just massaging her hips, but her back and shoulders as well. She never felt so lucky to have him being really caring for her.

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>  
><em>I'll be there for you through it all<em>  
><em>Even if saving you sends me to Heaven<em>

Crash could not hold in the pleasure he receive from Pasadena's kisses and caressing hands, and so he let out his own moans. Wanting more, Crash rolled her over and kissed her. After a few seconds of lip locking, the bandicoot began to make a trail of kisses that started with her lips, and it led him to kissing her abdomen. Pasadena let out moans as waves of pleasure began to flow through her body. However, she knew that the waves would be more pleasurable if she decided to go farther with Crash, and that's exacly what she had in mind. As Crash rose up, she kissed his neck and her hands began to make way towards his pants. Noticing her actions, Crash began to do the same, except his hands went toward her jeans. It was a good thing none of them were wearing a belt, as they both had desired to remove the other's clothing. But as they undid the other's button, the bandicoot halted the possum.

_Seasons are changing and waves are crashing_  
><em>And stars are falling all for us<em>  
><em>Days grow longer and <em>  
><em>nights grow shorter<em>  
><em>I can show you, I'll be the one<em>

"Wait, Pasadena. Are you sure you want to do this? If any of this makes you feel uncomfortable-" The possum shushed the hero by pressing her finger against his lips. After moving her finger, Pasadena kissed him and said, "Crash, I do want this. More than anything. Please..." Looking into her eyes, Crash felt incredibly guilty for even thinking of denying Pasadena for a second. Just before he could agree, she said something that completely set the bandicoot even more willing to prove himself as a lover. "Make love to me." Instantly, Crash's eyes widened, knowing what she wanted. Pressing his lips against hers, the hero whispered to his mate's ear, "I will." That being said, both removed each other's pants and they both were closer to being bare with each other. Pasadena blushed when Crash gazed down to see his love in her underwear. The hero felt the same way when she saw the bulge in his briefs. The possum moaned when the bandicoot rubbed his lower body against hers, and she felt her lover's hardening love muscle.

She rolled on top of bandicoot and throughout her actions, she kept her lips connected with his. As she sat on top of him, Crash sat up and kissed her with more passion, wanting more of her taste. Pasadena took the hero's hands with her own, and guided them towards her back, sliding them upward until they reached her top undergarment. Slowly, he tried to remove the strap the held the bra, and as soon a small snap was heard, signaling his success. There was the straps on her shoulders still keeping her from revealing herself, so the bandicoot moved the straps slowly. As each strap fell off, he planted a kiss on her shoulders. This made Pasadena shiver with excitement. She felt ready to give herself to Crash, but she kept patient. As the last strap fell off, the hero took a small but firm grasp on the bra, and discarded it to the floor. She felt shy and covered her bare chest with her arms. Seeing her actions made the bandicoot kiss Pasadena, and he whispered, "Don't hide yourself. You're beautiful and that's nothing to be ashamed of." His words gave her confidence, and she slowly let her arms drop letting the possum reveal herself to him.

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>  
><em>I'll be there for you through it all<em>  
><em>Even if saving you sends me to Heaven<em>

Seeing her exposed chest, Crash couldn't help but stare for a bit. Taking his hands once more, Pasadena led them to her breasts. Crash began to massage them, right before moving closer to kiss his lover's torso. Feeling his lips against her body made Pasadena let out sounds of pleasure, only to become louder as the bandicoot's tongue began to lick away. The possum may have not big breasts, but they felt firm in his hands, and as his tongue lashed away at her nipple, he cupped her other breast and began to rub his hand against it. He switched after a few minutes of licking and sucking, and his actions made Pasadena comment, "Oh, Crash, you're amazing." The hero brought his lips back to hers again, and his hands moved slowly towards her lower body. Moving his thumbs to the inside of her panties, Crash steadily began to remove them. As he slid them off, her own hands began their own work at his briefs. Within seconds, their lower undergarments were removed and both lovers had become bare.

Switching positions, Crash was on top as he continued to make out with Pasadena. Remembering him pleasuring her, the possum moved her right hand towards the hero's pulsating member. She was surprised at his length as she touched him. As she stroked him, Crash let out load moans as his lover moved her hand up and down his shaft. Wanting her now more than ever, the bandicoot got up from the bed and walked to his dresser. He pulled open the top drawer and searched for something his older brother gave him a few months ago. As his hand looked around, he felt a grip on what he was looking for. After retrieving the object and closing the drawer, Pasadena looked as he turned around and saw a condom in his hand. Crash looked at her nude body lying on his bed. She looked like paradise in his eyes, making Crash say, "Pas, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Blushing at his comment, Pasadena responded, "And you are most handsome man I've laid eyes on." Crawling towards her as he came back to bed, the bandicoot kissed his love with every ounce of passion he had.

Taking the bandicoot's hand that held the protection, Pasadena looked at the condom and whispered to her orange lover, "Crash, please be gentle. This is my first time." Hearing her words, the hero admitted, "I'll be as gentle as I can be. I don't want to hurt you. I want to savor this, because you're my first as well." It felt too perfect to be real for Pasadena. After this day, she will always remember it as the day they loss their virginity to each other. Kissing her love once more, the possum wrapper her arms around him. He began to remove the condom from its wrapper, and as he ripped away and retrieved the content, the bandicoot began to stretch it over himself. As he finished, he positioned himself in front of his love's opening. Looking at her, he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" She responded with a kiss and whispered to Crash, "Make me yours, my love."

_'Cause you're my, you're my, __my_  
><em>My true love, my whole heart<em>  
><em>Please don't throw that away<em>

Slowly, he made his way in. As he did, Pasadena hissed out her pain and gripped the bedsheets very tightly. She knew it would hurt since it's the first time, but the possum was willing to put up with it as she wanted the hero very much. Crash kept his eyes on his lover as he moved in. He felt a bit guilty giving her pain, but the guilt went away when she kissed him and said softly, "Please continue. I can handle it." Nodding his head, the bandicoot began to move in and out, with his lover letting out moans and hisses of pleasure and pain. Sharp gasps and quick inhales escaped her as the bandicoot continued his actions. Wanting more, she managed to pant out, "Faster. Harder." Obeying her commands, Crash began to increase his speed and power. Every few pumps, she would ask for more, and he did not deny her requests. Going at a very good pace, Crash began to kiss Pasadena again. He would use one hand to support him as his free hand caressed her cheek and massaged her neck. The hero made grunts as he kept pleasuring his woman, and she responded with her own moans. Groaning, Crash said, "Pas, this feels amazing. I feel sorry for almost denying you." With tears that came from both the happiness and pleasure she received, Pasadena said, "It's okay. I forgive you. Just please, don't stop."

_This feels so delicate. She's so pure, I feel bad for taking away her innocence__. How can anyone find this so wrong? She's amazing and wonderful. Oh, man I feel like I've died and gone to Heaven. If this isn't what it feels like, I don't want to ever die. Pasadena...my angel...I swear to love and protect you for the rest of my life. I love you so much, _Crash thought to himself.

_He's so perfect. I've always loved him for so long, and here we are making love. So gentle and caring, I don't want him to ever stop. He's my love, my bandicoot. I don't ever want to lose him. Oh God, I wish there wasn't a condom so I fully feel him. I don't care if I get pregnant, I want to have his babies. Crash, I love you and you'll always have my heart, _Pasadena thought.

_'Cause __I'm here for you_  
><em>Please don't walk away<em>  
><em>And please tell me, you'll stay, <em>  
><em>stay<em>

Feeling his body beginning to tire, Crash slowly came to a stop, kissed his lover and whispered in a loving tone, "Would you like to be on top?" Pasadena nodded her head, and Crash pulled himself out and laid back against the bed. As he did, the possum positioned herself above his love muscle. She let out a loud moan as his member entered her womanhood again. Tossing her head back, Crash took the opportunity to sit up and kiss her breasts. She began to move herself up and down, letting the waves of pleasure move through her body. Feeling the bandicoot's tongue against her chest again, she ran her left hand through his hair as her right hand used his shoulder for support. Letting out his own moans, the hero said to his love, "Pas, you're doing fantastic. You're so soft and warm, it's amazing!" Smiling at his comment, the possum tilted his head towards hers and began to French kiss the hero. Both moaned as Pasadena kept riding him. Crash laid back down, keeping his left hand to massage her breasts as his right hand rubbed up and down her thigh.

"Oh my-Crash, I don't want this to stop!" Hearing his love, Crash responded with, "Neither do I! Ohhh, you're incredible!" As he finished his sentence, Crash began to pump back into Pasadena. They were out of sync for a few seconds, but soon their hips began to connect in a rhythm. Pasadena let out squeals and whimpers as the bandicoot kept pushing upward back into her flower. Tossing his head back, Crash came back up and sat up to kiss Pasadena again. This time, he put his hands under Pasadena to help support her and to help her ride him faster. At the cost of him no longer pumping, the result was that Pasadena was able to increase her intensity with Crash's support. Her moans became a driving force, motivating Crash to give her even more of himself. He wrapped his arms around the possum and quickly returned the position they first started with.

_Use me as you will_  
><em>Pull my strings just for a thrill<em>  
><em>And I know I'll be okay<em>  
><em>Though my skies are turning gray<em>

As they caught a breather, they both immediately went back into action. Crash felt his inner animal wanting to partake. He remembered how after their argument, when they made out, his inner animal wanted to come out. Mainly out of lust, it made the hero scared to think of what would happen. That's why he stopped. Now it was back, except it did not want just sex. It wanted love. The bandicoot wasn't the only one to feel this, as Pasadena felt her inner lust wanting to feel the hero. No longer holding back, both let their lust come out, however they still had control. They kissed with more passion, let their hands explore the other's body, and their sounds of pleasure became even more loud. Positioning himself, Crash was about to enter Pasadena's womanhood once more before he lowered himself to kiss his love. Pasadena kissed back and whispered, "Don't hold back. I want you to give me your all, my love." The hero responded, "I intend to give you everything, my angel."

Keeping true to his word, Crash began again, except instead of starting slow, he began at a steady pace. Soon, he increased his intensity as Pasadena asked for him to give her more. Begging for more, Pasadena wrapped her legs around her lover, allowing him to explore every inch of her flower. As his speed and power increased, she compared him to a jackhammer. She no longer let out squeals and whimpers, as they were replaced by loud moans and even small screams of passion. Wrapping her arms around his back, she dug her nails in, causing the bandicoot to let out a small yelp. As Crash continued to make love, he let out a groan of pain as his lover's nails were dragged down his back. He concealed his pain by kissing Pasadena, who kissed back to conceal the large amount of pleasure she received from him. Unable to hold in her untold feelings, she said while panting in between her words, "Crash...Whatever you do...Please, just...Don't...OH GOD! CRASH, PLEASE DON'T STOP! KEEP GOING!"

Hearing her scream, begging for him not to stop seemed to motivate Crash. With his newlyfound inspiration, he found the ability to increase his intesity again. Letting out his own groans and moans, Crash began to replace his grunts with growls as his instincts made him. He felt in complete control of his inner animal, and he got rid of his bestial lust, replacing it with a new lust, made only and entirely for love. His hands began to grip the bedsheets with such strength that if he clenched it any tighter, he felt that he would rip right through it. Feeling his love for the possum, Crash lowered down and kissed her again. As he pulled away, he kissed her cheeks and her forehead. Both marsupials enjoyed receiving each other's comments, gestures, and pleasures. They felt alone in the world. Not by themselves, but with each other. Only their love for each other seemed to be the only thing that mattered in their lives. Not caring for the rest of everything and everyone else, both finally realized that there was no longer anything to fear when they were together. They were no longer alone, for they had each other.

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>  
><em>I'll be there for you through it all<em>  
><em>Even if saving you sends me to Heaven<em>

The moment was coming. Both lovers felt their climax starting to build up. They did not want their intimate moment to end, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Feeling he was close, Crash announced to Pasadena in between his growls, "Pasadena, I think...I'm gonna cu-...I'm getting close..." She understood what she meant. She felt the same climax building inside of her as well. Yet, she didn't want it to end. As her final request before the big moment, she spoke between her moans, "Wait. Not yet...Please, just...A little longer..." To respond, he kissed his love and said, "Oh...kay." He wasn't sure how he did it, but the hero managed to hold out for just a while longer. In the meantime, Crash increased his intensity once more, only to get closer to the climax.

"Pasadena! I can't hold it any longer!" Feeling the same, she shouted, "Me either!" Crash let out groans and growls as Pasadena began to scream louder. He was glad his home was isolated from the rest of the island, otherwise people could suspect something. Both lovers began to feel their climaxes coming closer than before. Getting closer, the possum began to dig her nails deep into the bandicoot's back and tighten her legs' grip around his waist. As for Crash, his clenched fists that grabbed the bedsheets clenched even harder, making a very small ripping noise. Soon, they could no longer withstand their orgasms. As they both came, they screamed their lover's names.

"PASADENAAAAAA!"  
>"CRAAAAAASH!"<p>

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>  
><em>I'll be there for you through it all<em>  
><em>Even if saving you sends me to Heaven...<em>

Crash had released his seed into the condom and Pasadena released her juices as well. Both breathe very heavily, but Pasadena let out a few more moans as Crash pumped into his lover a few more times before finally pulling out. The bandicoot used his hands to support himself, but his arms, weary from supporting him this entire time, were getting weaker. Just before he could let himself fall next to his lover, he lowered himself and kissed her. As he parted from her lips, he took a deep breath and as he exhaled the hero whispered to his angel, "I love you." With a smile and two last tears to shed, the angel whispered sweetly back to her lover, "I love you, too," and proceeded to kiss him again. Finally, for what seemed like a long time, they had become each other's. He was hers, and she was his. No one could take them away from each other, and they would be damned if they ever were. Nonetheless, they had become the other's mate, and they cradled in each other's love.

The bandicoot moved over and collapsed next to his love. Breathing deeply, he looked at the ceiling for a brief time, before looking to see that the possum crawled up to him and laid on top of him, with her head resting against his chest. Taking in her sweet scent, he petted her hair before moving his head to kiss her forehead. Pasadena crawled up some more, only to kiss the hero she always loved. They let themselves enjoy a very passionate kiss before sleeping. Their weary bodies were beginning to be taken away by their need to rest. Slowly closing their eyes, they shared another loving kiss. During their lip locked session, they had wrapped their arms around each other. The bandicoot's strong but gentle arms rested on her back as the possum's soft embrace was wrapped around his neck.

As their lips pulled away, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. The angel nuzzled against her love, and he responded with the same actions. Just as they were about to fall asleep, they shared one last kiss before falling asleep in each other's arms. Pulling away once more, their eyes closed as they whispered one last thing to each other. Their last words, though said before, had now entrusted them as the other's best friend and mate. They would not trade the other for anything else, nor could anything else ever replace them. They had become the other's guardian and savior. Both marsupials were now more than just anything. Crash and Pasadena had finally become the other's true love.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

**_Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.  
>- Dr. Karl Menninger<em>**

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it. The song used for this chapter is "Guardian Angel" by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. See ya next time.<strong>


	13. Risks and Chances

**Author's Note: Okay, I'm back. Here's another chapter for you. Sorry if the chapter seems a bit short.**

* * *

><p>It was Sunday morning. The rain had stopped hours ago, and the bright rays of the sun began to pour over the island. As it spread, the rays managed to brighten up the room of the infamous hero. It was only 7:16.<p>

In the room, Crash and Pasadena were still asleep. They only slept for so long due to their weary bodies and lack of sleep from the previous day. The bandicoot was the first to wake up. As he opened his eyes, he rubbed them and stretched while yawning. After his little morning routine, Crash smiled as his eyes set their gaze on Pasadena, who was still laying on top of the hero as she slept. He moved his head foward to kiss her forehead, and as he rested his head back against his pillow, Crash wrapped his arms around his lover once again.

Slowly, the possum began to stir herself awake. Following her routine which mimicked Crash's own routine, as Pasadena finished rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looked to see the orange bandicoot looking back at her, smiling.

"Morning," Crash said in a happy tone.

"Good morning," Pasadena replied in a loving tone.

Crawling up, she pressed her lips against Crash's lips. After their quick kiss, the possum settled back into her hero's arms. "So, is there anything you wanna do today," Crash had asked. "I really don't care what we do today, as long as I spend it with you," Pasadena responded. The bandicoot chuckled at her response. After a few minutes of laying down, Pasadena got up from the bed. While getting her clothes, Crash stared as his love's bare body shined in the sunlight. She took notice and said, "What is it?" Getting up from the bed, Crash walked over and kissed her, and whispered, "You look beautiful in the sunlight. Hell, you'll always be beautiful to me no matter what." Pasadena couldn't help but smile, and as she picked up the last of her clothes, she said to the hero, "Well, I think I'll take a shower." As she walked, the possum stopped at the doorway when Crash said, "Ok. I'll get breakfast started while you wash up." Just before she left, the possum blew the bandicoot a kiss and said, "I love you." With a smirk, the hero responded, "I love you, too." As Pasadena left, Crash got up and was prepared to leave his room in the direction to the kitchen when an idea popped into his head.

* * *

><p>After turning the knobs to adjust the temperature, Pasadena tested the water with her hand until the shower felt warm. "Just right," she said to herself. The possum then proceeded to rest a towel on the sink's counter and stepped into the shower. "Ahhhhh," the relieved racer said as the running water collided against her skin. Pasadena never felt better, as the warm water helped make the possum feel ever so relaxed. Pasadena closed her eyes as she walked into the water and began to run her hands through her hair. As her hair was fully wet, she tried to feel around to grab a bottle of shampoo. The racer began to feel frustrated in not finding her shampoo. Letting out a sigh, she backed out of the running water and was about to turn around until she heard a familiar voice.<p>

"Looking for this, babe?"

Quickly turning around, the possum found herself in the arms of the bandicoot she made love to the previous day. "Crash, you scared me," she said as she let out a breath of relief. "Sorry, Pas. I didn't mean to." Looking into the bandicoot's dark emerald eyes, Pasadena smiled and said, "It's okay. By the way, I thought you were going to get breakfast started." Letting out a little laugh, the orange marsupial spoke, "On one hand, breakfast can wait. On the other hand, however, I can't wait for you. Besides, I need a shower as well."

"Is that a really good reason? Or is it an excuse to try to see me naked again?" the possum asked Crash.

"Your call, Pasadena. Either way, think of it as me trying to spend time with you," the former said.

"So sweet of you," Pasadena said sarcastically, as she wrapped her arms around Crash's neck and began to kiss him. Soon, both marsupials began to make out. After their brief battle of tongues, Crash said, "Come on, we should probably wash up. Better not to let the hot water go to waste." With a smile, the female marsupial jokingly said, "Aww, you're no fun." With a laugh, her lover said, "Patience, dear, patience."

As they bathe, the lovers helped cleaned the other. During their shower, they would go into small breaks of kissing. It took them a bit of a while, but they did eventually manage to get clean, dry off, and get dressed.

Pasadena walked into the kitchen as she finished getting her clothes which mainly consisted of jeans and a navy tank top. She walked in and saw Crash wearing his usual jeans, but he did wear a grey long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pulled up. The possum took in a deep breath, only to smell the scent of eggs and bacon being cooked. _I am lucky to have a guy who cooks, _the possum thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around the bandicoot and kissed his neck. "Hey, hun. Bacon and eggs, huh?" Nodding his head, Crash simply said, "Yep. Gimme a few seconds, I'm almost finished."

"Alright then," Pasadena said. She gave Crash another kiss before opening one of the cabinets to grab a cup. Closing the door to the cabinet, she walked over to the fridge and opened the door to pull out the orange juice. Pouring the sweet drink into her glass, as she finished, Pasadena put the orange juice in the refridgerator. The possum then walked over to the table, where as she sat down, Crash came over with a plate filled with scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon, and a side of toast. "Thanks, Crash," the racer said to the hero, who then responded, "No problem, Pas." After a few minutes, the bandicoot came back to the table with his own plate containing the same contents. Handing her a fork and grabbing one himself, Crash said to Pasadena, "Enjoy."

Taking a bite of the eggs, the possum's eyes widened and she said to the bandicoot, "Crash, this is really good!" Swallowing his food, the hero spoke, "Well, I'm glad you like it. I can't wait to try your cooking, though." Giving the orange marsupial a peck on the cheek, Pasadena said, "Wait til' dinner, hero." After finishing their meal, both of the marsupials retreated to the living room to watch some TV. Crash sat down first and rested his head on his right hand, which rested on the arm of the couch. Pasadena then proceeded to sit down as well. She sat down, laying her head on Crash's shoulder, and the bandicoot wrapped his left arm around her, with his hand resting on her shoulder. The possum picked up the remote and proceeded to turn on the TV. She flipped through the channels, hoping to find a movie that the couple will both enjoy.

Throughout most of the day, both marsupials stayed with each other. They watched TV, went outside for a walk, played a little soccer which led to a game of play-wrestling, cleaned the house up a bit, went for a drive, sang songs off the radio, enjoyed lunch, hanged out with Crash's friends, explored a bit of the island, went home, watched a bit more TV, played a few games, ate dinner, watched TV a third time, got sleepy, and at the end of the day, they slept in Crash's room together, cradling the other in their arms.

To Crash, he felt as if the world began rotating again. He confessed his feelings to the girl he loved, and was surprised that she felt the same way. The bandicoot never felt better in his entire life. Knowing Pasadena was his, he kept the promise he made during their special night to always love and protect her. Crash had found a new happiness that he himself knew that he would fight for to preserve it. No one could take his love away, and the hero would keep swinging to keep the takers away from his angel. The hero would do anything for her, and he knew that if it meant the two marsupials not being together for her to be happy, so be it. But deep down in his heart, Crash felt like she was the one he wanted to be with. Pasadena understood him, and despite their common interests, they did have a few opposites which only made them closer rather than farther apart.

For Pasadena, it felt like a dream come true when Crash said he loved her during their night together. When they were younger, she did seem to have a huge crush, but after Cortex was taken care of, they did get along a bit better. After the Bandicoot family left, she only realized that she didn't just liked him, but she loved him. The possum managed to look through his crazy behavior and saw a sweet, well-likable guy. After running into each other again, she really began to know and understand what kind of guy the bandicoot really was. Despite his reputation, he was like any normal guy. Crash wasn't just some hero. He was just like the rest of the people. He had his own life to live besides saving the world, yet nobody else saw it. Except for his own family, his friends, and Pasadena as well.

Even though they were young, both marsupials felt as if they had found the one for them. Some might say it's just "young love," meaning that they were still too young to understand the actual concept of what love was. Others could say that it's just a temporary thing, only lasting for a short while, as others could say they were blinded by their emotions. But deep within their own hearts, Crash and Pasadena did not want their relationship to come to an end. Yet they both fear the inevitable which was the possum having to leave at the end of the week. Hiding behind the smiles and laughs, both lovers were scared to lose the other.

The bandicoot felt ashamed to ask the racer to stay, mainly because he feared he would let her live a dangerous life because his enemies were out there plotting how to destroy the hero. If she stayed, Crash felt that he would be putting his love's life at risk. Pasadena would be kidnapped, maybe even used against the bandicoot himself. The thought of his girl being tortured made Crash even more afraid of losing Pasadena. With a heavy sigh, the bandicoot looked at his love with a deep concern for Pasadena.

The possum was scared of not only losing Crash, but also because of a future she thought of what it would be like if she did leave. Would Crash find someone else? Would she find someone else? Pasadena was afraid that she would make a mistake leaving the bandicoot. She knew that his heart was broken before, but she dared not to even think if it was broken again. The racer knew the hero's hidden emotions, feelings that never could really expressed, not even through his own art or words. Pasadena could only hope for something as she felt the hero's arms wrap themselves around her, giving her the comfort she needed.

Yet, both lovers could only feel inseparable as they were with each other.

_There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard_  
><em>No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart<em>

_Our dreams, and they are made out of real things_  
><em>Like a, shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving<em>

_Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart_  
><em>Like why are we here? And where do we go?<em>  
><em>And how come it's so hard?<em>

_It's not always easy and_  
><em>Sometimes life can be deceiving<em>

_I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together_

_Mmm, it's always better when we're together_  
><em>Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together<em>  
><em>Well, it's always better when we're together<em>  
><em>Yeah, it's always better when we're together<em>

_And all of these moments_  
><em>Just might find their way into my dreams tonight<em>  
><em>But I know that they'll be gone<em>  
><em>When the morning light sings<em>

_And brings new things_  
><em>For tomorrow night you see<em>  
><em>That they'll be gone too<em>  
><em>Too many things I have to do<em>

_But if all of these dreams might find their way_  
><em>Into my day to day scene<em>  
><em>I'd be under the impression<em>  
><em>I was somewhere in between<em>

_With only two_  
><em>Just me and you<em>  
><em>Not so many things we got to do<em>  
><em>Or places we got to be<em>

_We'll sit beneath the mango tree now_

_Yeah, it's always better when we're together_  
><em>Mmm, we're somewhere in between together<em>  
><em>Well, it's always better when we're together<em>  
><em>Yeah, it's always better when we're together<em>

_Mmm, mmm, mmm_

_I believe in memories_  
><em>They look so, so pretty when I sleep<em>  
><em>Hey now, and when I wake up,<em>  
><em>You look so pretty sleeping next to me<em>

_But there is not enough time,_  
><em>And there is no, no song I could sing<em>  
><em>And there is no combination of words I could say<em>  
><em>But I will still tell you one thing<em>

_We're better together._

Truth was, life did seem better in each other's company, in each other's arms. They were scared to hold on, but afraid to let go. A thing about love was that not only are you happy, but you're also afraid. Whether its losing or hurting the one you love, you're scared that you could be pushing your love away. Taking cautious steps seems like a good idea, but it leaves you unhappy that you are not taking a risk with your love. Sometimes, that's what love seems like. It's a game of risks and chances, waiting to be taken and in the end you're either rewarded or punished for your actions. As the game ends, you begin to wonder if you could've done better or worse, probably before or after the game. You could be left asking yourself, "Was it worth it?" The only way to find out is to play and take a shot.

For both Crash and Pasadena, they'll have to take a chance...

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay, alright that's another. The song used is "Better Together," by Jack Johnson. Questions, comments, or concerns, you know what to do. I'm out.<strong>


	14. Failing Denial and Better Visions

Chapter 14

Crash sighed as he woke up. It was 4 days since Sunday, and now it was Thursday. Time seemed to really fly by for the bandicoot. He hated how every second seemed to vanish instantly. He hated how time went by so fast, since he wanted to make every second with Pasadena count. Yet, it somehow didn't seem to matter. The idea that it didn't really matter pissed him off. Lately, Crash had been putting a fake act of being okay, when in deeply inside his heart, he felt depressed. How could it count, since she was leaving Saturday? At first, it had more meaning. The hero did his best to make himself happy as each passing minute went by, and as they minutes came and went, each one was spent being close to the possum.

He couldn't really sleep the previous night, and it was kind of funny that he slept late, yet he woke up before Pasadena did. Crash hated how he tried to force himself into thinking that he wanted his love to save her job. The bandicoot really did force himself, but he ended up hurting himself, and he wanted her to stay even more. The hero did what he thought he could do. He thought of telling her that there were better things for her out there than here, that he would just bring her down, and that she would only hurt herself if she stayed. Crash couldn't bring himself to any of those things. He loved her too much.

Crash sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. Thinking he needed some time alone to think, he got out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and before leaving the room, kissed Pasadena's forehead as she slept. He hated how he forced himself into thinking he was a bad boyfriend, that she was a bad girlfriend, and even thinking that it was just a one-time thing. But as these thoughts entered his mind, he felt angry for even thinking those thoughts. The bandicoot was doubting himself. He left his house and walked to the beach. As he sat down to watch the sunrise, he remembered how everything seemed to be so easy and well thought out. Now, everything was clouded, and the hero felt blind that he couldn't find a straight answer. Crash decided to listen to some music to help clear his head. Why was it that music seemed to have an answer to everything? Whether it was intentional or coincidental, Crash really didn't care at the moment as he hit the Shuffle button.

_Well when you go_  
><em>Don't ever think I'll make you try to stay<em>  
><em>And maybe when you get back<em>  
><em>I'll be off to find another way<em>

_And after all this time that you still owe_  
><em>You're still a good-for-nothing I don't know<em>

_No, she's perfect. Why am I doing this to myself? She's everything I want, and here I am rejecting her. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I a fool for letting her go, or for making her stay? If she goes, can I find someone better, or will I be back at square one? I don't want to lose her, but I feel like I am,_ Crash thought to himself. Pasadena was his, but the hero wondered if she really was his. He felt bad thinking about being unsure as to if she really loved him. Did she love him just as much as he loved her? So many questions he wanted answered, but out of all of them, this one seemed the most important.

_So take your gloves and get out_  
><em>Better get out<em>  
><em>While you can<em>

_When you go_  
><em>Would you even turn to say<em>  
><em>I don't love you<em>  
><em>Like I did yesterday<em>

They spent time together. They loved each other. They made love with one another. Yet, the bandicoot felt as if maybe it wasn't meant to be. Crash was fighting the worst enemy he ever fought: himself. We are our greatest enemies, and would it be of ourselves that our downfall will succeed? Crash continued to shake his head, thinking the most negative thoughts he had of himself. Is it right or wrong for him to want Pasadena to stay? Is it right or wrong that he didn't want her to go, yet he forced himself to want to let her go? Everything began to no longer make sense to the hero.

_Sometimes I cry so hard from pleasing_  
><em>So sick and tired of all the needless beating<em>

_But baby when they knock you_  
><em>Down and out<em>  
><em>Is where you oughta stay<em>

_And after all the blood that you still owe_  
><em>Another dollar's just another blow<em>

_So fix your eyes and get up_  
><em>Better get up<em>  
><em>While you can<em>

_Whoa, oh_

He was tired of fighting himself. As far as he knew, he just wanted to close his eyes and be whisked away by his sleep into his dreams. But he wasn't tired. Crash let out a few tears. The lyrics spoke to him. The tears from trying to keep the world happy by risking his life, the anger behind each scar, wound, and injury he sustained while keeping the world safe, and the feeling of giving up but forcing himself to keep going whenever it seemed all to much. Why did he owe the world, when the world didn't owe him anything? At this point, the world did seem to somehow pay its dept. It brought the woman he always wanted.

_When you go_  
><em>Would you even turn to say<em>  
><em>I don't love you<em>  
><em>Like I did yesterday<em>

_Well come on,_  
><em>Come on!<em>

Crash stared at the sunrise as the wind blew. He felt a chill in his body, and felt really cold. Not caring anymore, Crash just closed his eyes. But as he did close his eyes, he felt warm all of a sudden. Just before he could question where this warmth came, he felt something soft pressing against the back of his right shoulder. Opening his eyes just a bit and turning his head, Crash saw that it was Pasadena. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she kissed his shoulder. All of a sudden, the cold that ran through the bandicoot's body vanished, and the hero felt warm again.

_When you go_  
><em>Would you have the guts to say<em>  
><em>I don't love you<em>  
><em>Like I loved you yesterday<em>

_I don't love you_  
><em>Like I loved you yesterday<em>

_I don't love you_  
><em>Like I loved you yesterday<em>

"You had me worried there for a sec. I've been looking for you," Pasadena said as she leaned onto Crash. The bandicoot replied, "I guess I should've left some kind of note. Sorry." As he finished his sentence, Crash turned his head to his right and the possum moved in for a kiss. Tasting her lips seemed to make everything feel better, as if there was no problem to worry about. When they parted, the possum said, "It's okay. So, why are you out here?" Sighing, Crash said, "I've been feeling out of place. It's like I'm surrounded by a fog. I can't see anything around me, and I wonder if I should stay, or risk it and try to find my way. Yet, it's too damn difficult to make a choice."

"I think we all face this fog you speak of. As far as I know, there is a risk to each solution. If we wait, how long will we have to wait? If we leave, can we be sure we'll find our way out? No matter what you do, there's a risk involved. We all have to take that chance," Pasadena replied to her love. Giving her response some thought, Crash said, "You're right." For a moment of silence, the two marsupials looked at the sun as it kept ascending into the sky. They continued to watch until the sun reached its peak of shining off very bright rays. Covering their eyes, they decided it was time to go home.

The two lovers walked back to the house. As they did, Crash noticed he had his music still playing at a low volume. He pressed the Previous button and turned up the volume a bit louder. Recogizing the song, Crash looked towards Pasadena who's attention was still fixed foward. He leaned in for a kiss, and after planting one on her cheek, the possum turned her head and returned another kiss. Both smiled as they headed toward the house.

_Lately I've, I've been keeping an eye on you._  
><em>Don't know what you've been going through.<em>  
><em>I can tell it's no good, no good for me but<em>

_All I know, all I know is I've got to go_  
><em>before things get out of control,<em>  
><em>And out of our hands, beyond repair.<em>

_Well, nothing is lost just because it's not where it used to be._

_Just stop searching, you could spend your whole life._  
><em>I can tell by your eyes that hope is fading fast,<em>  
><em>when all you have to do is stop searching.<em>

_I understand people change,_  
><em>but don't miss out on this chance.<em>  
><em>You have to find yourself,<em>  
><em>and that's exactly where you'll find me.<em>

_So come find me._

_Did I speak too soon about the elephant in the room?_  
><em>I'd survive with or without you, but what would that prove?<em>  
><em>You know it means nothing<em>  
><em>Wait, there's more, more than enough for the jury, I'm sure.<em>  
><em>So state your case and give me the floor.<em>  
><em>We may lose what we love.<em>  
><em>It's not far away because,<em>

_Nothing is lost just because_  
><em>it's not where it used to be.<em>

_Just stop searching, you could spend your whole life._  
><em>I can tell by your eyes that hope is fading fast,<em>  
><em>when all you have to do is stop searching.<em>

_I understand people change,_  
><em>but don't miss out on this chance.<em>  
><em>You have to find yourself,<em>  
><em>and that's exactly where you'll find me.<em>

_Can you find me?_  
><em>Oh, can you find me?<em>  
><em>Oh<em>

_So take what you need._  
><em>If you leave, then leave a little piece of me.<em>

_So just stop, just stop searching,_  
><em>you could spend your whole life.<em>  
><em>I can tell by your eyes that hope is fading fast,<em>  
><em>when all you have to do is stop searching.<em>

_I understand people change,_  
><em>but don't miss out on this chance.<em>  
><em>You have to find yourself,<em>  
><em>and that's exactly where you'll find me.<em>

_(Oh no)_  
><em>Come find me, whoa<em>  
><em>Stop searching!<em>

Crash laughed to himself. Perhaps if Pasadena heard this song, maybe this would be how she probably wanted the hero to know her thoughts if he shared the thoughts he wondered about earlier. After getting to the house, the bandicoot sat on the couch and rested his head back, closing his eyes. As he did, the racer snuck her way over and jumped on the off guard hero. "What the-" was all Crash could say before his retaliation. The hero turned Pasadena on her back on the couch and began to tickle her. Seeing her laugh and smile, made the orange marsupial glad to see her happy. As Crash kept tickling, Pasadena felt her sides starting to hurt and tears came out of her eyes as a result of laughing too much. In between her laughs, she said, "Crash...please stop...it's starting to hurt." The bandicoot showed mercy and stopped. However he would regret it, as his love tackled him and began his "torture."

Laughing, Crash couldn't help but smile as he saw the possum was enjoying this. After a few minutes, the bandicoot began to feel the same pains she did, and asked her to stop. Luckily, she showed the same mercy. Both were a bit tired from laughing, and the two marsupials rested against the couch with the possum resting on top of the hero. She layed her head against his chest, and Crash wrapped his arms around Pasadena's waist. They were smiling as they enjoyed what seemed like hours with each other.

Crash felt as if all his problems and worries went away. No longer did the thoughts cloud his mind. In the end, he felt as if he would just have to face it._ Regardless of what happens, I still love her no matter what,_ he thought to himself. He looked to see that Pasadena was asleep in his arms. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Feeling sleepy himself, the hero looked at a clock that hung on the wall across from him to see that it was only about five minutes away from 4:30 P.M. A long, nice nap seemed really nice about now. If she woke up, it couldn't really bother him. Crash was a mix of both a light and heavy sleeper. He could be woken up easily if his name is called, but most of the time, nothing really seemed to wake the hero up from his dreams. Nonetheless, the bandicoot closed his eyes and let sleep take him away.

With only hours away from his love's departure, Crash would try his best to make every second matter...

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sadly, readers, we are close to the end. :( However, I will try to make the last chapters really count. I wrote the whole story as a draft, and I am kinda busy so the next few chapters could take a bit longer. By the way, the songs in this chapter are "I Don't Love You" by My Chemical Romance and "Stop Searching" by Valencia. Questions, comments, or concerns, you know what to do. Bye. <strong>


	15. Fighting, Forgiving, and Recovering

Chapter 15

Pasadena yawned and sighed as she woke up from her sleep. Taking a look around, she saw that she was in the living room. She was a bit confused at first until she looked at the "bed" she slept on. The possum smiled as she saw Crash, who was still asleep. She kissed her lover and slowly moved off of the bandicoot as to not disturb him. Crash only stirred a bit, but he was still asleep. Pasadena looked around for a clock, and was shocked to see that it was 5 in the morning. Deciding to stay awake, the racer left to fetch some new clothes to change into after her shower.

After her bath, Pasadena walked into the kitchen and made herself a sandwich to eat. After her meal, she walked into the backyard. Seeing as how night was still hanging onto the sky, the possum walked to a hammock that was in between two trees. She sat and looked at the stars that shined in the sky. She tried to not think about the hero, but somehow Crash got into her mind. The racer shook her head as she kept thinking about Crash. She couldn't help but wonder as to why he had not said anything about her going away. Pasadena didn't want to leave, but deep down she felt as if the bandicoot wanted her to leave. Otherwise, wouldn't he had said something by now?

Pasadena sighed as she tried to fight back her tears. Seeing as how she was leaving, the possum let her tears drop. _Why hasn't he said anything? There's just today, and that's it. I don't have a choice to decide when I'll leave, but...Damn it, Crash, why haven't you said anything? Anything! Does...does he even love me? I love him, but I feel that he just said it to...No, Crash wouldn't just say that without meaning it. Right?_

She was scared. What if Crash had really said "I love you" just to have sex with her? She denied it, after all he said those three words after they made love. Yet, Pasadena was still scared to know if sex was his only desire of her. She felt betrayed, but the possum knew she couldn't assume without at least some sort of evidence. Her only pieces of proof were the memories of their time spent with each other. The racer still loved the hero. She began to wonder and think about what Crash would do if she left right now. Would he look for her? Would he not?

As the tears kept dropping, Pasadena dried her eyes with her hands and walked back into the house. In the living room, she saw that Crash was still asleep. She sat next to him, looking at him and she petted his head. The hero responded to her by rubbing his face to her hand. Slowly waking up, he raised his hand to touch hers. Opening his eyes, he looked to see his love sitting next to him. With a chuckle, he said, "Hi." She said hello back to him, but she turned her head as she did. Crash looked a bit harder and saw that her eyes looked like she had been crying.

_Two jumps in a week, I bet you think that's pretty clever don't you boy  
>Flyin' on your motorcycle, watching all the ground beneath you drop<em>

"Pas, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"You've been crying. Please, tell me what's wrong."

"It doesn't matter."

"Pasadena, please. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"Nothing is wrong. I'm completely fine."

"You're lying, I can tell. Please just-"

"I'm not okay, alright! Is that what you want to hear?"

"Pas, why are you angry?"

"You want to know why I'm mad? Fine! I'm leaving tomorrow, but you haven't said anything about it! Do you want me to leave? I'll leave as soon as my car gets here!"

As she finished her sentence, Pasadena stormed off to Coco's room. She had a feeling that even if she locked it, Crash would have a key to get in. At this point, she didn't care. The possum wanted to be alone.

_You'd kill yourself for recognition, kill yourself to never ever stop  
>You broke another mirror, you're turning into something you are not<em>

"Pas, wait! I don't know why you're upset, but at least talk to me," Crash had said as he got up to try to talk to Pasadena. He'd never seen her this mad, and now he was afraid that if he said something or done something that made her mad. Based on what she said, Crash hated himself for not talking to Pasadena about her leaving.

_Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry_  
><em>Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry<em>

The possum shut the door which made a loud slam as it closed. She walked over to the bed and laid down, resting her head against a pink pillow. She reached for her bag and looked for her headphones. Music was always one thing she could rely on for comfort. However, deep down in her heart without admitting it, she knew she would rather be comforted by the guy she left in the living room. Pasadena didn't care what song came on as she hit the Play button on her own iPod. All she wanted was silence.

_Drying up in conversation, you will be the one who cannot talk_  
><em>All your insides fall to pieces, you just sit there wishing you could still make love<em>

Crash ran after her but he stopped as he heard the door slam. _She hates me,_ he thought. Ironically, he didn't have a key, and there really wasn't a spare to his sister's room. Thinking about what to say, Crash knocked on the door. "Pas, please let me in. I wanna talk." He leaned his head into the door, and heard nothing in reply to his response. He sighed and knocked again. He didn't care how long it would take, but as long as she would let him in, it would be worth it.

_They're the ones who'll hate you when you think you've got the world_  
><em>all sussed out<em>  
><em>They're the ones who'll spit at you, you will be the one screaming out<em>

Despite how loud the music was, the possum heard Crash's knock, but not his words. She ignored him, and she looked out the window. The sun began to make its ascent into the sky and as it did, the stars began to disappear. The racer sighed as she kept hearing the bandicoot's knocks against the door. Pasadena clenched her fist, thinking that Crash would break down the door or that he would begin yelling. But he didn't. He just continued to knock. Hearing his constant three knocks, Pasadena began to silently weep.

_Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry_  
><em>Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry<em>

Crash fought back his own tears as the girl he loved did not open the door. "Pasadena, please. Please open the door. Please..." His strength to hold back his tears was beginning to fail, and within seconds, the tears began to fall from his emerald eyes. He still continued to knock before coming to his own conclusion.

"I understand that you're mad. To be honest, the reason I didn't say anything is because I am scared of what to say. Pasadena, I'm...I'm afraid to let you go, but I'm also scared about you staying. There is nothing more I want than for you to be happy. And whether being happy means you being here or not here, it doesn't matter as long as you're happy. That's all I want for you. These past few days have been the best days because I got to spend every minute with you. I meant every word I said to you, Pas. I love you. But if you don't feel the same way, I...I understand. Just know that I will always love you, and that no matter what happens, I will and want to be there for you. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I don't know how, but just know that I'm sorry. Out of all the great things that has happened to me, you're the best one."

As he finished his statement, Crash walked away and let more of his tears drop. _It's my fault...I lost her,_ he thought one more time as he left.

_Oh, it's the best thing that you've ever had_  
><em>The best thing that you've ever, ever had<em>  
><em>It's the best thing that you've ever had<em>  
><em>The best thing you've had has gone away<em>

Luckily, the music ended as Crash began his statement. Pasadena listened to every word he said. And as he finished, Pasadena felt incredibly guilty. She got up from the bed and ran to the door. "Crash," she called as she opened the door. He wasn't there. She began to worry and looked for the bandicoot. Pasadena began to blame herself as she could not find him. When she still couldn't find him, she became more scared. If anything happened to him, the possum would blame herself. "Crash," she called out again. "I'm sorry! Crash, please, where are you," Pasadena said. She kept calling for him, and her search seemed hopeless as she couldn't find him anywhere. Where could he be? After what seemed like hours but actually only a few minutes, she still couldn't find him.

_So don't leave me high, don't leave me dry_  
><em>Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry<em>

Pasadena was about to give up until she saw that the front door was open. She ran out, only to see an orange figure in the distance heading towards the beach. "Crash!" He didn't turn around as the possum shouted for him. Hesitating at first because she didn't have her shoes on, Pasadena decided to hell with it and ran after the bandicoot. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she ran to catch the hero. _Crash, please wait. I'm sorry,_ she thought. She wanted to apologize and hold the hero in her arms and the racer hoped that he would forgive her and hold her as well. Pasadena knew know that Crash did love her, and that he did care. Her feet felt the pain of the rocks and dirt that collided with each step, but it would be worth it if it meant that Crash would forgive her.

_Don't leave me high_  
><em>Don't leave me high<em>  
><em>Don't leave me dry<em>

Finally, she stopped and look to see the bandicoot within a few more meters. He was sitting, staring straight towards the ocean. She ran and slowed down as she got closer to the hero. Crash was breathing slowly, but he was patient as the sun was still getting up. He felt her presence and as she got closer, Crash turned his head. Pasadena shivered a bit. The sand felt a bit cold, and not to mention the wind was blowing as well. She sat down next to Crash and looked at him. Both looked into each other's eyes and they leaned their heads towards each other. They nuzzled for a bit until Pasadena spoke. "Crash, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I understand if you don't want to but-" The possum was cut off as Crash kissed her. She was suprised at first, but she gave in and kissed the bandicoot back. The marsupials wrapped their arms around each other, and their bodies felt the other's warmth once more.

Pasadena pulled away, and just before she could say anything, Crash spoke. "I do forgive you. I want you to know that I'm scared for both of us." Pasadena then said, "Crash, I'm scared, too. Look, I'm sorry for earlier, but it's just that when you didn't say anything, I was afraid that you didn't love me." Feeling a bit hurt at her words, the bandicoot felt a bit angry, but he knew that it was both their faults, not just one of them. "Pas, I do love you. I'm sorry that you felt that way because I wasn't sure how to tell you how I feel about you leaving." The marsupials kissed again and embraced each other in a tight hug.

When they pulled away, Crash saw that Pasadena was crying. He leaned in again, but this time, he kissed her tears away. Pasadena rested her head against his chest and listed to his beating heart. Hearing the sounds the heart made as it kept beating seemed to comfort her. The bandicoot raised his hand and caressed her cheek as he leaned his head onto the possum's head. They both let out a shaking breath, but as they did, they snuggled against the other. "Crash, what's gonna happen to us?"

"I don't know. What I do know, is that we only have a couple of hours. And I want to spend each second with you as the clock keeps ticking." Looking back at the hero, she said, "Then let's not waste anymore time."

_We'll do it all_  
><em>Everything<em>  
><em>On our own<em>

__We don't need_  
><em>Anything<em>  
><em>Or anyone<em>_

Both lovers rose up from the sand, held each other's hand, and began to walk down the beach. As the sun continued to rise, the love both marsupials had for each other began to rise as well.

All they needed and wanted was each other. That's how both marsupials felt about the other. Crash felt like he was about to die of a diesease, and he decided that he wanted to spend his last few hours with someone he not only cared about, but loved as well. Pasadena still felt guilty about what she did earlier, but the bandicoot helped her feel better as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

_If I lay here_  
><em>If I just lay here<em>  
><em>Would you lie with me and just forget the world?<em>

Having the other around seemed to make the world less frightening than what it used to be. With each other, the lovers felt safe, warm, and cared for. Deep down, they never wanted this day to stop. They both wished time would stand still, only to spend each single second with each other.

_I don't quite know_  
><em>How to say<em>  
><em>How I feel<em>

_Those three words_  
><em>Are said too much<em>  
><em>They're not enough<em>

When he couldn't speak, the hero seemed to believe actions spoke louder than words. As the thought left his mind, he stopped walking causing his companion to stop as well. Pasadena looked at Crash, who in turn looked back. He moved closer and hugged her. The possum hugged back as well. It seemed a bit endless as they stayed in each other's arms for a while. Just as the racer was about to pull away, the bandicoot picked her up and spun her, earning her delicate laugh as a reward for his actions. She smiled as her love set her down, and she kissed him. After pulling away, they continued to walk.

Pasadena looked at Crash as they continued to walk. He looked straight foward as if he was on a mission, but he turned to look back at her. Staring into the other's green eyes, they couldn't help but smile. The hero gave his angel a quick peck on the cheek, and she responded with the same actions. Still walking, they both nuzzled against each other, feeling the smooth fur of each other.

_If I lay here_  
><em>If I just lay here<em>  
><em>Would you lie with me and just forget the world?<em>

_Forget what we're told  
>Before we get too old<br>Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

Other than the waves of the ocean crashing into the shore and retreating back to its origin, the beach was completely silent. However, the silence seemed to be very peaceful and welcoming. It felt like paradise for the two marsupials.

_Let's waste time_  
><em>Chasing cars<em>  
><em>Around our heads<em>

_I need your grace_  
><em>To remind me<em>  
><em>To find my own<em>

For the bandicoot, he felt as if he found something he had lost long ago. It took him two weeks and one person to help him find what he lost. The love he once shared was back again, and this time, he felt determined to show every bit of passion he had for the possum. The racer discovered what it was like for someone to love and care about her. Even though there was the love she received from her parents, she felt as if it wasn't what she was looking for. But now, she found it, and the female marsupial felt as if it would be the only one she could ever find. What they both needed, what they both wanted, was walking next to them.

_If I lay here_  
><em>If I just lay here<em>  
><em>Would you lie with me and just forget the world?<em>

_Forget what we're told_  
><em>Before we get too old<em>  
><em>Show me a garden that's bursting into life<em>

Walking for a mile, both marsupials felt tired and decided to sit down to enjoy each other's company, as well as the sound of the waves crashing and the sun rising. The world seemed to vanish, and they felt like they were the only ones in the entire galaxy.

_All that I am_  
><em>All that I ever was<em>  
><em>Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see<em>

_I don't know where_  
><em>Confused about how as well<em>  
><em>Just know that these things will never change for us at all<em>

Crash felt as if Pasadena had saved him. He wasn't sure what she had saved him from, but the hero felt as if she just rescued him from something terrifying. As for the possum, she felt as if she had found the one man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. They thought of the other as pure perfection. They felt lucky to even be with each other in the first place. Lying down, Crash focused his gaze on the sky above him. Pasadena did the same, but she rested her head on his chest. The racer let out a sigh and closed her eyes as she felt the cold wind blowing again. Yet, the hero's arms seemed to protect her from the chilly gust. She snuggled against her love, and Crash moved his head to kiss her head. Letting out his own sigh, except it was one of relief, the hero felt as if finally, every second counted.

Both were unsure of the future that awaited them, but they both knew it was time to start living in the present. Getting up, Pasadena stood and helped the bandicoot by an offering of the hand. Both stood up, but they did not let go of each other's hand. They moved foward to where their chests touched each other, and they leaned their heads into each marsupials closed their eyes, and kissed each other once more before looking to see the sun still rising towards the blue sky. Crash and Pasadena held each other, looking toward the ocean. After a few minutes, Crash began to walk home, but he still held on to Pasadena's hand. She followed the bandicoot and kept close as they walked back to the Bandicoot home.

_If I lay here_  
><em>If I just lay here<em>  
><em>Would you lie with me and just forget the world?<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well, there's another one. The songs used in this chapter are "High and Dry" by Radiohead and "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.<br>Questions, comments, concerns, you know what to do. Bye.**


	16. You and Me

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. Been a bit busy. Anyway, here you go.**

Chapter 16

After returning to the house, the marsupials sat down on the couch and rested in each other's arms. Crash was thinking about what the couple could do today. He wanted to make it special, but he knew he couldn't plan some sort of party in a few hours. No, he would have to do something different. It would only be Pasadena and him, and...well, he figured it would be just them two. But what to do? A question that seemed very difficult to answer for the bandicoot. Just as all hope seemed lost, an idea popped into his head.

Pasadena had fallen asleep, and Crash took the time to go to the backyard and plan a little party just for the two of them. After a few hours, Crash smiled at his work. He had set up a few string of lights, brought out a radio, and even set a nice centerpiece on the picnic table outside. Admiring his work, the hero walked back inside and decided to wake the sleeping possum. Now, the time wasn't right, so the bandicoot figured that he would take her out until it was close to sunset.

"Hey, Pas. Wake up," Crash whispered softly. Slowly, Pasadena woke up and smiled at the hero. "Hey you," she said, before giving Crash a kiss."Listen, about earlier-" Hushing his angel by kissing her, the bandicoot said, "There's no need to worry about it. It's our last day, and I want to make it special for both of us." Pasadena then hugged the hero and whispered, "I know." It did seem difficult for both marsupials, but they had stayed strong. Hearing the possum's stomach growl which reminded him of his own, Crash chuckled and said, "Come on. Let's get something to eat." _Now, I just have to keep her busy for a bit,_ the hero thought to himself.

Driving back to town, the bandicoot thought of a nice lunch at the Backstage. Suprising, the place sold food, and Crash figured some burgers would keep him and Pasadena full until later tonight. They enjoyed their meal along with a few topics to discuss. After leaving, Crash thought of an idea. "Hey, there's something I want to show you." Pasadena then said, "Ok." Driving for what seemed like hours, Pasadena got curious and asked, "Where are we going?" Smiling, Crash said, "Don't worry. We're almost there."

After Crash pulled up to a stop in what it seemed like the middle of the jungle, Pasadena was about to ask until the hero said, "Close your eyes. Trust me." Taking his hand, the possum only wished to know what the hero had in plan for her. A few minutes later of stumbling and almost tripping, the racer was about to just open her eyes until the bandicoot gave the order. "Ok, open." Opening her eyes, Pasadena couldn't believe what she saw.

It was an oasis. There was a waterfall that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Wild flowers that grew on the rock, which supported the waterfall, showed off their bright colors. Other than the sounds of the falling water hitting the pond to which it poured into, the tropical birds chirping as they flew overhead, and the natural wildlife made their noises in the background, it was complete silence. The racer was amazed at what her eyes were looking at. Crash had found a hidden paradise that was kept away from the rest of the world.

"Crash...this place is beautiful. How did you find this?" Expecting a response, Pasadena waited, then she looked to see that the bandicoot was nowhere in sight. She only spent a few minutes looking until she called for him. "Crash? Where are you?" Sure enough, he responded with a whistle. Looking to see the source of the whistle, the possum looked until she saw the infamous hero standing on the top of the waterfall, wearing only his briefs. "Hey, Pas," the hero shouted. "Crash, what are you doing up there," she asked in a worried tone, afraid of what he was going to do. "Well, what does it look like? I'm going for a swim. Care to join," Crash had asked the racer. In a happy and joking tone, Pasadena replied, "You're crazy." With a laugh, Crash had responded, "Crazy is just half of who I am, Pas. Come on, I'm not doing this without you."

_Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you_  
><em>By now you should've somehow realized what you gotta do<em>  
><em>I don't believe that anybody <em>  
><em>Feels the way I do<em>  
><em>About you now<em>

Scoffing at first, Pasadena looked down. Crash noticed her actions and said, "Come on, babe. I'm not leaving this rock unless you come up here." Giggling to herself, the possum then said, "Ok, fine." She then started to take off her clothes, save for her underwear. Getting an idea, Pasadena began to slowly remove her clothes, in hopes of teasing Crash for making her go to the waterfall. Unfortunately, the bandicoot saw and knew what she was doing and said, "Oh, that's evil." The racer laughed at the hero's words. Finally, she slipped out of her jeans and began to walk over to the rock.

_Backbeat the word was on the street that the fire in your heart is out_  
><em>I'm sure you've heard it all before but you never really had a doubt<em>  
><em>I don't believe that anybody<em>  
><em>Feels the way I do<em>  
><em>About you now<em>

"How did you get up there," Pasadena asked. "Just keep going, you'll see some steps that will lead you up here," Crash said in response. The possum kept walking until she saw the steps the bandicoot mentioned. The steps looked manmade, but they were actually naturally formed to look like stairs. Walking up the stairs, Pasadena kept walking until she saw Crash, who was folding his arms and looked liked he had been waiting for a long time. "Took you long enough," he joked. "Shut up," she said as she walked over to him.

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding_  
><em>And all the lights that lead us there are blinding<em>  
><em>There are many things that I<em>  
><em>Would like to say to you I but I don't know how<em>

The racer wasn't sure if the bandicoot was absolutely serious about going for a swim. What she was afraid of was that Crash was going to jump from the rock into the water. "So, now what," Pasadena asked the hero. "I think you know what I'm planning," Crash said with a smile as he looked down at the water. Pasadena looked down and swore that the drop was at least more than 30 feet. "There's no way you're making me jump," she said in a resisting tone. The bandicoot simply smiled. "Oh, I think the opposite, Pas. Because the way I see it, there's only one way to go down. And it's that way," Crash replied as he pointed towards the water.

_Because maybe_  
><em>You're gonna be the one that saves me<em>  
><em>And after all<em>  
><em>You're my wonderwall<em>

"No, I think I'll stay right here," Pasadena said. "Yeah, I think you're not," Crash replied as he grabbed the possum's hand and began to drag her to the edge. "Crash! What are you doing? Oh no. Don't even think about it!" Unfortunately, the bandicoot ignored the racer's protests and kept dragging her to her "doom."

_Today was gonna be the day but they'll never throw it back to you_  
><em>By now you should've somehow realized what you're not to do<em>  
><em>I don't believe that anybody<em>  
><em>Feels the way I do<em>  
><em>About you now<em>

_Well, time to convince her,_ Crash thought as his guest kept resisting. He then brought her closer and engaged Pasadena in a passionate kiss. The female marsupial was shocked at first, but she gave in and returned the hero's kiss. After a while, they broke apart, but Crash whispered, "Trust me. You'll be fine. After all, you got me." Now convinced, she whispered, "Don't let me go, ok?" With another kiss, Crash said, "I never will."

_And all the roads that lead to you were winding_  
><em>And all the lights that light the way are blinding<em>  
><em>There are many things that I<em>  
><em>Would like to say to you I but I don't know how<em>

The marsupials took in a deep breath, looked at each other, and held hands. Together, they counted, "3...2...1...Now!" Crash and Pasadena jumped and began thier fall into the water. Still holding each other's hand, both of them rolled up and performed a cannonball as they hit the water, making a loud splash.

_I said maybe_  
><em>You're gonna be the one that saves me<em>  
><em>And after all<em>  
><em>You're my wonderwall<em>

After spending a few seconds underwater, both Crash and Pasadena swam back into the surface. As they reached the surface, both took in another breath for oxygen. After their breather, they began to laugh as they swam back to land. When they began to walk back on the grass, Crash wrapped his arms around his girl and kissed her again. Pasadena returned the favor by kissing back. Taking a short break, both said, "I love you," to one another.

_I said maybe_  
><em>You're gonna be the one who saves me<em>  
><em>And after all<em>  
><em>You're my wonderwall<em>

_Said maybe_  
><em>You're gonna be the one that saves me<em>  
><em>You're gonna be the one that saves me<em>  
><em>You're gonna be the one that saves me<em>

When the couple broke away, they spent a few minutes holding each other before Crash said, "We should go. It's beginning to get dark." In a sad tone, Pasadena said, "Ok." After getting their clothes back on, the marsupials headed for the car and began the drive home. As they drove home, Pasadena moved closer to Crash and rested her head on his shoulder. The bandicoot wanted to rest his head against hers, but he had to stay focused if they were gonna get back home.

Arriving home and as they got back inside, Pasadena walked to the hallway. "I'm gonna take a shower." Turning his head, Crash said, "Ok. I think I forgot something in the car. I'll be back." Nodding her head, the possum left for the bathroom, and as she left, the hero made his way to the backyard. Just before he stepped outside, he flipped the switch which turned the lights on outside. Crash figured that she would look for him and the orange marsupial figured he could wait outside.

Half an hour later, Crash sighed and said to himself, "What the hell's taking her so long?" As he finished his sentence, Pasadena came outside. "Oh, so this is where you've been hiding," she said in a faux anger tone. The bandicoot simply smiled as she walked her way over to him. The racer sat on his lap and hugged her man. The hero responded by wrapping his arms around his girl once more. "Crash, this is the best day in my entire life. And it's all because I spent it with you," Pasadena said to the bandicoot. "The day's not over just yet. There's something else I had planned," Crash had responded. Signaling her to get up, Crash walked over to where he set the radio earlier today. He pressed the play button and walked back to the possum, offering his hand as he got back. "May I have this dance," he asked her. Smiling, Pasadena got up, took the hero's hand and said, "Yes, you may." Placing his hands on her hips and setting her arms around his neck, both marsupials began to move and dance to the music.

_Do you remember when we were just kids_  
><em>And cardboard boxes took us miles from what we would miss<em>  
><em>Schoolyard conversations taken to heart<em>  
><em>And laughter took the place of everything we knew we were not<em>

As they moved to the music, the couple's hearts began to beat faster as they dance. They both seemed a bit nervous at first, but their shyness withered away as they began to feel more and more comfortable with one another. The warmth of their bodies felt so welcoming, and in their hearts they felt as if there could never be another warmth like theirs.

_I wanna break every clock_  
><em>The hands of time could never move again<em>  
><em>We could stay in this moment (stay in this moment)<em>  
><em>For the rest of our lives<em>  
><em>Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now<em>

Crash really did feel like breaking every clock. If he could stop time, Crash would never wanted this moment, this night, this day to never end. He wanted to spend eternity dancing with the girl he loved. He didn't care if his feet hurt. The bandicoot wanted to spend every second with his angel. Pasadena felt the very same. Until time would begin to function again, the possum just wanted to spend every second being held by Crash. She would spend time holding the hero, and she knew she would not tire of holding the guy she loved with all her heart.

_I wanna be your last, first kiss_  
><em>That you'll ever have<em>  
><em>I wanna be your last, first kiss<em>

As they continued to dance, the bandicoot held the possum closer. Pasadena didn't hesitate as she brought herself closer to Crash. Tears that wanted to come out began to sting her eyes. She didn't want Crash to see her cry, and so she buried her face in his chest as she closed her eyes. The hero didn't see her tears, but he noticed her actions, and so he brought up his hand to caress her head. Crash then rested his head against hers and began to feel the same sting in his eyes.

_Amazing how life turns out the way that it does_  
><em>We end up hurting the worst, the only ones we really love<em>

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Pasadena could not hold back her tears any longer. The water droplets made their way down her cheeks, and soon Crash felt his chest becoming wet. The bandicoot sighed as well, and he took in the sweet scent the racer had. The smell of wild cherries fill his nostrils, and the hero felt as if he discovered something rare. Using his hand, he cupped the possum's chin with one finger and tilted her head towards his. Seeing her watery eyes, Crash moved foward and kissed her tears away. Pasadena closed her eyes as her love's lips took the droplets away. Each peck helped her feel completely better, and as the last tear was wept away, the possum whispered, "Thank you." In response, he whispered, "Anything for you."

_I wanna break every clock_  
><em>The hands of time could never move again<em>  
><em>We could stay in this moment (stay in this moment)<em>  
><em>For the rest of our lives<em>  
><em>Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now<em>

She shook her head and said, "I don't want anything the world has to offer. I just want you, Crash." Hearing her words, Crash tried but failed as one tear escaped him. In regards to his actions, Pasadena kissed the bandicoot's single tear away. He hated himself for crying, but he loved that Pasadena did what she did. "The world has so much better things to offer. You could do better than me." Hearing his words, she looked at him and said, "Don't ever say that. You're all I want in this world. You're the best thing in the world, and I don't want to lose you." Crash sighed and said, "I want you, too. But with the life, the purpose I have...You can be easily taken away from me, and I don't want that to happen to you."

_I wanna be your last, first kiss_  
><em>That you'll ever have<em>  
><em>I wanna be your last, first kiss<em>

"I know you'll never let that happen to me," Pasadena argued. "How do you know," Crash asked in return. "Because you love me just as much as I love you." Deep down in his heart, Crash knew she was right. It was because of his love for her that he would always save her, he would always protect her, and he will never stop loving her. "Prove it," he said. She replied, "You'll prove it for me." Again, she was right.

_Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now_  
><em>Is it over how hey, hey, it's not over now<em>

"You're not gonna give up on me, are you," the bandicoot asked the possum. With a smile, Pasadena said, "A couple of days ago, you said that you would never give up on me. I plan on not giving up on you either." Crash laughed, remembering that day he held Pasadena close for what he assumed was the first time he ever truly held her close. "That was the same day I realized that I was in love with you. Deep down, I think I've always loved you, but I never really figured it out," Crash said in response. Giggling, Pasadena said, "Well, have you figured it out now?" Smiling, the bandicoot replied, "Yeah, I did."

_I wanna be your last, first kiss_  
><em>That you'll ever have (that you'll ever have)<em>  
><em>I wanna be your last, first love (that you'll ever have)<em>

The words spoke the truth of how both marsupials felt toward another. They were each other's first kiss, and they hoped to be the last one to kiss the other.

_Till you're lying here beside me with arms and eyes open wide_  
><em>I wanna be your last, first kiss for all time<em>

Crash moved his head in and Pasadena did the same. They kissed passionately, holding each other in their arms. Their kiss lasted for a while before they broke to say the three words that meant the most to them, especially if they came from the other marsupial. "I love you." As the song ended, the couple walked back inside. Crash turned off the radio and the lights. The marsupials walked to the hero's room, where they spent their few hours sleeping, holding each other in the other's arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well, there's chapter 16 for you. The songs are "Wonderwall" by Oasis and "Inevitable" by Anberlin. As much as I hate to say it, but the next chapter is the final one. Sorry. :( Anyways, I hoped you've enjoyed the story so far, but it's not over yet.<strong>


	17. Never Alone

Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Will Pasadena stay? Will Crash let her go? Time to find out, right now! Enjoy!**

_**Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.**_  
><em><strong>-Unknown<strong>_

The birds were chirping. The sun was rising. The clouds were moving. The rain was falling. All seemed ever so peaceful around the island. Yet, two hearts felt broken as this day was beginning. Everything seemed so clear in the past time, but now everything seemed blind. Nothing could be found. What was a night of love yesterday had now become a morning of fear. The fear of losing someone began to fill their hearts. They held so tight that the other one may have had trouble breathing, but they were fine. Today was a cloudy, rainy Saturday.

In the room, Crash and Pasadena slept like infants, but slept like lovers as they held each other close. As much as they wanted to spent the day holding each other, they knew they could not. In a way, both wish to go back to their sleep, where they could isolate themselves with each other in their dreams. However, their bodies were wide awake at this point, and so both marsupials opened their eyes. Pasadena had laid on her side, and Crash was behind her, holding her with his right arm on her waist. His face was close to hers as if he were leaning in for a peck. Her scent filled his nostrils once again, and he held her even closer as he wanted to hold on to his "cherry." The bandicoot moved in for the peck, and as he parted, he whispered, "Good morning." The possum whispered back, "Morning." They silent for a while until Crash said, "Do you need help packing?" Shaking her head, Pasadena responded, "No. I'll be fine."

Inhaling and exhaling through his nose, the hero kissed her cheek once more before sitting up. He stretched out his arms, rubbed his eyes, and proceeded to yawn. Pasadena did the same as she sat on the side of the bed and set her feet on the ground. Crash got out of bed and walked over to his dresser where he got another pair of jeans, briefs, and socks. He began to walk out when he turned and said, "Care to join me?" The possum nodded her head and said, "Yeah, just let me get some clothes." The racer stood up and stretched. Finishing her stretch, she left the room and went to Coco's room where her suitcase was. She got some clothes for the day and left the room and proceeded to join the bandicoot in the shower.

When she entered, the racer heard the shower running and saw the hero's shadow through the curtain. Crash was washing his hair when she walked in, hugged him, and kissed his shoulder. He let out a breath of nervousness. Her kisses always seemed to make him shiver. The bandicoot turned to face Pasadena and stepped aside so she could bathe as well. They spent a half hour washing themselves and their lover. In between their shower they would go into small make-out sessions that only lasted a few seconds. As Crash turned off the shower, they both got dressed pretty quickly. They then retreated to their separate rooms where Crash put on his shoes and Pasadena did the same, but she stayed to gather her things. Putting the last item in her suitcase, she closed the locks that made a click and she walked out. The racer walked past Crash's room and saw that he wasn't there. She went into the living room and saw that he wasn't there. Beginning to wonder where he was, she was about to go outside when she heard her phone ringing. She reached into her jacket and saw that she received a text message from Crash.

**"I'll be back. I left to go pick up the car."**

The racer sighed as she read the message. She shook her head, but smiled. It was nice of Crash to leave to go pick up the car. She walked to the couch, grabbed the remote, and flipped on the TV. She decided to watch until Crash came back. Even as she kept browsing, all she could think about was the bandicoot. She thought about how no matter how many times he left, he came back. He would always come back. Pasadena sighed again as she thought of herself. Could she come back for him? Deep down, she knew she would. However, Pasadena wondered how Crash would feel if she never did. Would he keep holding on to her? Or would he forget her? If she never came back, the possum wished that Crash would move on and find someone better. She tried not to think about it, but it kept haunting her. _No, I could never do that to him. I...I have to leave. It's not fair to him,_ she thought. She kept her focus on the TV until she heard a car horn.

She looked out the window to see Crash lowering down the Bad Girl from the hook of his jeep. As the car touched the ground, Crash removed the hook and drove the jeep into the driveway. When he finished parking, Crash got out of the jeep and walked to the house. Once he got inside, Crash saw her and said, "Well, she's completely fixed. And," he said as he handed the racer the keys, "she's ready to go." Noticing his sad tone, Pasadena got up from the couch and grabbed the keys. She held his hand as she did. They stood holding the other's hand for a while until the possum pulled her hand away slowly. "So, uh, when is your family getting here," the racer asked the bandicoot. He looked down and said, "Uh, from what I remember, at least a couple hours. Most likely around the night. When do you have to leave?" Taking in a deep breath, Pasadena replied, "Any time, but at least by today." They both stood in the awkward silence that seemed to fill in the place. Breaking the silence, Crash said, "Well, would you like to eat something?" She nodded her head and said, "Yeah, I can eat." Together, they walked into the kitchen where they made their first meal together. Chicken lasagna. When they finished making their meal, they ate their meal together and still it was awkward for them.

Crash looked at the time and saw that it was 10:23. _Damn, still morning,_ he thought as a question. "Would you like to watch a movie?" Pasadena then said, "Sure, I got time." They walked back into the living room, sat down on the couch and watched two movies before the possum noticed that it was 1:49. With a great pain in her heart, Pasadena said, "I should get going." Crash then responded, "Yeah. Don't wanna be late, right?" She smiled as she grabbed her suitcase and walked to the door. Before she opened the door, she said, "Can you walk me to my car?" The bandicoot nodded his head and opened the door like a gentleman. As they walked to the car, both marsupials held hands as they walked. Crash opened the trunk and Pasadena put her suitcase in. "Thanks," she said. "No problem," he responded.

When they walked to the driver's side, Crash again opened the door. However, just before she got in, Pasadena closed the door and hugged Crash. "I just want to say...that I enjoyed our time together. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. And I just want to say...I...I-I love-" Crash stopped her and said, "There's no need to say anything else, Pasadena. I loved every second we spent together. I just wished we could've had more time." Now crying, Pasadena replied in a trembline voice, "So do I. I'll never forget these past few days." The bandicoot then said, "Neither will I." As they pulled away, they felt in their own hearts that they still wanted to hold on. Yet, they kept pulling apart. Just before she could enter the car, Pasadena gave one last kiss and said, "Crash, I'm so sorry." Trying to stay strong, the bandicoot responded, "I'm sorry too, Pasadena." They kissed one more time before the possum descended into the car. The hero walked back to his house and entered the home.

Pasadena sat in the car, grabbed the seat belt and put it in place as it made a loud click. She put the keys in ignition and checked her mirrors. Just before she could turn the key, the racer rested her head on the wheel and said, "Crash...Why didn't you ask me to stay?"

The bandicoot was slowly closing the door to his house. Just as he did, every memory of every second he spent with Pasadena began to ran through his mind again. When they first met, whenever they talked, whenever he saw her, when she came back into his life, the past few days of them together, their first outing when they went to the Backstage, when he played her a song, when he spent the week spending time with her, their first date, their first dance, their first kiss, and their first time. And as the memories kept playing through his mind, Crash kept slowly closing the door. Just before the door fully closed, one last memory played through his mind.

"Don't let me go, ok?"  
>"I never will."<p>

_How can I never let her go, when she's never in my arms? _Immediately realizing his mistake, Crash's eyes widened as he heard the car starting and the car began to drive away. He swung the door open and ran after the possum. "Pasadena, wait!"

The car came to a screeching halt. Pasadena looked in the mirror as she swore she could've heard someone. "Wait!" There it was again. She looked in the mirrors and saw Crash running towards her like a madman. She quickly got out of the car, unbuckling her belt, putting the car in park, and turning off the ignition. "Crash," she asked as he got closer. When he got close, the bandicoot grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

"Please don't go! I want you to stay with me! I know it sounds selfish, but I love you and I want you to be with me! Please, Pasadena, stay with me." Hearing Crash's desperate pleas, the possum began to cry. They weren't tears of sadness, but rather happiness. She hugged the hero back, smiled, and said, "Yes, I will." They engaged in a passionate kiss that lasted for many minutes. Pulling away, Crash said, "I can't give you the world, but I can give you my heart." Pasadena replied, "I don't want the world, I just want you. I love you!" Smiling, Crash said, "I love you too. I want to show you just how much I care."

_Slowly fading away_  
><em>You're lost and so afraid<em>  
><em>Where is the hope in a world so cold<em>

True to his word, Crash carried Pasadena bridal style and ran back to his house. He kicked the door open and using his leg, he closed it, emitting a loud bang. He carried his love to his bedroom where he laid her on his bed and kissed her. She kept kissing back and both marsupials began to tear at each other's clothes. In between their kissing and tearing, Crash said, "I'll never let anyone take you away from me." In response, Pasadena said, "I'll never doubt you."

_Looking for a distant light_  
><em>Someone who could save a life<em>

Crash had unzipped her jacket and removed it as Pasadena began to work on his belt. Both were determined to show how much they loved each other, and in a few minutes, they were going to prove it. The possum took off her shirt as the bandicoot began to unbutton her jeans. When she removed her shirt, Crash began kissing her neck, resulting in a moan that emerged from her throat. Within minutes, both marsupials were in their undergarments. They both blushed as seeing the other, but they continued to kiss. They shook with shivers of excitement, but the jitters went away as their warm bodies touched each other.

_You're living in fear that no one will hear your cries_  
><em>Can you save me now<em>

After spending a couple of minutes making out, Crash and Pasadena slowly removed their undergarments. When they became bare, they admired the other's body as a painter would admire his art. "You're so beautiful," the bandicoot whispered as he kissed her. "You're quite handsome, my love," the possum replied back in regards to her lover's response. Their bodies touched once more, and they rejoiced by kissing the other with more passion and intensity. They stopped, only for Crash to make the first move.

_I am with you_  
><em>I will carry you through it all<em>  
><em>I won't leave you, I will catch you<em>

Crash moved foward and kissed the racer's neck. As he did, he began to move down until he reached her busom. He massaged her breasts with his hands and began to lick away at her left nipple. He then massaged her right breast with his right hand. Pasadena moaned loudly as she ran her hands through the hero's hair. He was driving her crazy as he kept licking, and eventually he began to suck. "Ahhh, Crash. Please don't stop, my love." Crash parted with a smile as he switched to her right breast. He began the same routine, this time adding a bit more to pleasure his girl. He moved his left hand down her stomach until he reached his destination. Her flower. Crash then began to move his fingers in and out of the possum. Pasadena tossed her head back as the bandicoot kept doing what he was doing. She let out moans and shouted her lover's name as he kept pleasuring her.

_When you feel like letting go_  
><em>Cause you're not, you're not alone<em>

The possum signaled for Crash to stop by putting her hands on his face and gently pushing him away. "Lie down," she ordered, and her love did as he was told. She was a bit nervous at doing what she was about to do, but again, determination to prove her love seemed to motivate her. "Pas, what are you doi-Ohhh!" Crash let out a loud groan as Pasadena stroked his erect member. The hero closed his eyes and gripped the sheets tightly as the racer continued to stroke him. Pushing her hair back, Pasadena took a deep breath and began to lick Crash's love muscle. "Oh damn," he cursed loudly. After a few licks, she began to suck and bob her head. The bandicoot rolled his eyes and tossed his head back as Pasadena pleasured him. He petted her hair as she continued her actions. After a few minutes, Crash began to feel his climax. "Pas, I think..OH!...I'm gonna cum." However, Pasadena stopped and said, "Not yet."

_Your heart is full of broken dreams_  
><em>Just a fading memory<em>  
><em>And everything's gone but the pain carries on<em>

The feeling went away, but Crash was still erect. He took a breather as he lost his breath when Pasadena kept pleasuring him. Turning the tables, he laid the racer against the bed. He then got up and walked over to his drawer. _Thank God. I'm glad Crunch gave me two of these, _the bandicoot thought as he found a condom. He walked back and crawled to Pasadena kissing her lips and positioning himself. Getting into position, Crash tore out the condom from its package and stretched it over his member. "You ready, Pas?" Smiling and kissing the hero, Pasadena said, "I'm all yours, Crash." Slowly but steadily, Crash went inside his love. The possum let out a loud moan and smiled at the pleasure that came in once the pain went away. She kissed her love again and said, "Don't stop now." With a smirk, the hero said, "I don't plan to." Steadily, the bandicoot moved back and forth, increasing his pace as his lover said, "Faster. Harder."

_Lost in the rain again_  
><em>When will it ever end<em>

The thunder began to strike and the rain began to fall harder, but it did not stop or distract Crash from his actions. Pasadena kept moaning louder and louder as the bandicoot kept moving in and out of her womanhood. "Oh, God, faster! Harder! Oh, Crash, I love you," she cried as Crash increased his speed and power. "I love you, too," he managed to say in between his grunts. The racer wrapped her arms around the hero and moved up to kiss him. She let out muffled screams of pleasure as her love kept going. The bandicoot moaned as she moved her hands in a circling motion on his back. Crash kept going until he was beginning to feel tired. He slowed down as Pasadena said, "Let me ride you."

_The arms of relief seem so out of reach_  
><em>But I, I am here<em>

Crash pulled out and laid against the bed as Pasadena positioned herself above the bandicoot's hardened member. She let herself slowly drop onto him, and she let out a loud moan as Crash impaled her once again. However, as she was distracted by her own actions, the bandicoot swifly sat up and began to kiss her again. "I don't think I'll do much just laying down," he said. She smiled as she began to move up and down on his shaft. This time, Crash began to feel the pleasure moving through his body, causing him to say his angel's name. "Pas...Ah, Pasadena," he moaned. The hero then buried his face in her chest, and she smiled and moaned as Crash began to lick and suck like he did earlier. She began to ride him faster with his help as he put his hands under her thighs.

_I am with you_  
><em>I will carry you through it all<em>  
><em>I won't leave you, I will catch you<em>

__When you feel like letting go_  
><em>Cause you're not, you're not alone<em>_

Pasadena slowed down as she came to a stop. She got off Crash and laid down again, wanting the bandicoot to finish the way he started. "I'm ready for you. Please don't hold back." Crash was a bit nervous but he shook it off as he positioned himself and said, "Ok. I won't hold back." He kissed Pasadena as he made his way back into her. Without warning, Crash increased to a faster pace than last time. Pasadena moaned loud as her man kept doing his actions. "Ah, Crash! Faster, harder please!" Hearing her begging, Crash did as she said and increased his movement. "You're so soft and warm, it's unbelievable," the hero commented. "Crash, this has to be a dream. It can't feel this good in the real world," the possum replied. Smiling, Crash said, "I hope it's not a dream."

_And I'll be your hope_  
><em>When you feel like its over<em>

_And I will pick you up_  
><em>When your whole world shatters<em>

As they continued to make love, both lovers began to make their own promises to one another. To belong to one another and no one else. To be forever and truly theirs. To love one another. Crash would always keep his promise, and Pasadena knew that she was going to keep her promise as well. As Crash continued to thrust into his angel, he slowed down a bit to kiss her. What he traded in speed for, was power. The bandicoot increased the intensity of his movements, causing Pasadena to let out screams of pleasure as they kissed. Both lovers looked down as Crash began his ever increasing pace again. They then slowly began to look up as Crash lowered himself and Pasadena wrapped her arms around his neck. Both marsupials moved in for one more kiss and when they parted, they whispered.

_And when you're finally in my arms_  
><em>Look up and see love has a face<em>

"I love you."  
>"I love you, too."<p>

_I am with you_  
><em>I will carry you through it all<em>  
><em>I won't leave you, I will catch you<br>__When you feel like letting go_  
><em>Cause you're not, you're not alone<em>

Crash groaned as his climax came back again. He cursed himself for allowing this, but he knew that the orgasm he and his lover would share together was what brought them really close to each other. "Pasadena, I getting close," he said in between his grunts. "Me too, Crash. Don't stop now! Keep going," the racer replied. Crash increased his instensity once more, making his love scream even louder and causing her to wrap her legs around his waist. She wasn't the only one, as Crash began to moan and groan even louder as he went in deeper into the possum's cavern. They reached the point to where they had finally felt each other completely. Pasadena released squeals and whimpers as Crash kept grunting and growling. They were both getting closer and closer to the end. They gone this far, and they did not plan on stopping.

_And I will be your hope_  
><em>And I will pick you up<br>__And I will be your hope_  
><em>And I will be your hope<em>

"Oh, Crash! I'm think I'm about to cum," Pasadena shouted to her lover. "Oh, damn, I feel it too," Crash shouted back. Taking part, Pasadena began to buck her hips, colliding with the hero in perfect synchronization. They kept their pace for a while, until both lovers could no longer hold in their climax.

"Crash, I LOVE YOU!"  
>"Pas, I love you, to-AHHHH!"<p>

_Slow fading away_  
><em>You're lost and so afraid<em>  
><em>Where is the hope in a world so cold<em>

With his last pump, Crash released himself into the condom as Pasadena released herself onto the bandicoot's protected member. Both engaged in another passionate kiss as the bandicoot pulled himself out of the possum. Crash moved over and fell beside Pasadena, and the latter mentioned crawled towards him and rested her head on his chest. "Crash, that was amazing. It was even better than before," she said to her lover. "Yeah it was. You were wonderful," the hero said in response. He moved closer and kissed the racer as he laid his head back down on the pillow.

"Pasadena, I want you to know that when I walked back into the house, I started to think of our time together. As it kept running through my mind, I thought I was doing the right thing in letting you go, because I was scared that if you stayed, something would've happened to you. With the life and purpose I have, I was afraid that if you stayed, my enemies would use you or hurt you, and you know I never want that to happen to you."

"I know, Crash. But even if that happened, I know you would always come to rescue me, no matter how long it would take. I know the risks, but I want to take that chance. I'm willing to take that chance, as long as it means that I'll be with you."

"So what made you change your mind, Crash," Pasadena asked as she began to caress the hero's chest. "Remember yesterday, when you said to not let you go and I said I never will," Crash replied. "Yes, I remember every second," the racer said. "When I was about to close that door, I thought back to that moment. I realized, how can I never let you go if you're never with me?" Giggling, Pasadena wrapped her arms around the bandicoot's neck and said, "Well, I'm with you now. And I'll always be with you." Smiling, Crash said, "And I'll always be with you. Whenever I'm not on some adventure or mission, I promise that I'll spend every second with you, my angel."

As sleep began to take over their weary bodies, both lovers got comfortable as they began to fall asleep in each other's arms. The bandicoot smiled. Pasadena was his, and he didn't plan on giving her up for anything. As for the possum, she never felt so happy and loved as she found someone who would take care of and love her. Before falling asleep, Pasadena said, "Crash, thank you for asking me to stay. I was hoping you would ask and you did." Exhaling a breath, Crash replied, "I should be thanking you. In a way, you saved me. You gave me something I always wanted, and in return, I gave you something that you wanted." "You're right about that, my love," the possum said as she closed her eyes. "Pas," Crash asked. "Yes?" Pulling her into one more kiss, the marsupials engaged in one last passionate kiss before they slept.

"I love you."

I love you, too."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay, so I've been doing some thinking, and I've decided to include an epilogue. I figured, one more chapter couldn't hurt, right? Also, I didn't want to end this as an odd number story. I'm more of an even number, so that explains another reason, even though I was born on an odd number. Anyway, just hold on a little longer, because I got one more chapter for you. Questions, comments, or concerns, leave them in the reviews or send me a PM message. That's my cue. Bye!<strong>

**Oh, before I go, the song is "Not Alone" by Red. It's kind of a reference to the first chapter's title. It's also what kind of inspired me to write this story, particulary this chapter. Now, I'm gone!**

**tb100**


	18. Everlasting Love

Epilogue

_One Month Later..._

Pasadena sighed as she entered her room. It was a tough day at work, and all she wanted was a hot shower and some sleep. "I just want to fall down and let the dreams take me far away from here," she said to herself.

As mentioned, one month had passed since the bandicoot she loved so much asked her to stay with him. The next day after that Saturday, Pasadena called Von Clutch to tell him she was quitting. It would've been hard to find another job, but luckily fate had other plans for the possum. The cyborg who would've been her former boss begged her to keep her job and even allowed the possum to choose where the new MotorWorld would be located, as well as be the manager of that MotorWorld. Pasadena accepted the new terms and got her promotion. As for the new location, she began to wonder until she found her answer.

The racer remembered how Von Clutch just asked her where would the new one be located. Pasadena was in Crash's room at the time, and when she saw her love asleep on his bed, she knew exactly where to put the new MotorWorld. Now, whenever any member of the Bandicoot family wanted to go to the amusement park, all they had to do was drive 4 miles out to the beach, where the new MotorWorld Pier Park was located. Life seemed pretty good for the possum. She had a new job that came with pretty cool perks, she didn't really have to do much around the park since her job mainly consisted of just going around and see the business flow, and she had all the time in the world. Not to mention the love of her life was only 4 miles away, and either one of the two would visit the other.

The Bandicoot family came back from their vacation on the following day after Crash had asked Pasadena to stay. Aku Aku was suprised that Crash had kept the house clean while they were away. As for Coco, she won the Next Best Inventor, and was happy to see her big brother again. Crunch was very excited and showed the hero what he missed while they were away. Needless to say, Crash was glad to have his family back. His sister, brother, and friend were all very suprised to see Pasadena again. They welcomed their old friend, and the lovers decided to keep their relationship a secret until the time was right.

Life seemed all well. Until last week, Cortex had brought himself back on the grid, and the bandicoot left to fight his old nemesis. Crash felt a bit angered that Cortex seemed to just come out of nowhere, but the hero reassured himself that with the big head back, a new adventure awaited him. Pasadena remembered how Crash said that he would be gone for a couple of days, but he would be back. The possum remembered kissing her boyfriend, and watching him run off to his mission. She was going to have to get used to it, but she would. Pasadena loved the crazy bandicoot, and the infamous hero loved her back.

Back to the present, Pasadena threw her mail on her bed as she walked to her dresser and grabbed some clothes to wear after her shower. After her bath, the racer walked back to her bed where she checked her mail. A letter from Von Clutch explaining the responsibilites she had as the manager, bills on the park's management, and a postcard from her parents who were on vacation in Hawaii. The possum sighed. Even though everything in the past month seemed to go so well, she was still missing something. Pasadena turned her head toward her nightstand and grabbed a picture that laid there. She looked at the picture and smiled. The photo showed both her and Crash asleep at the bandicoot's favorite Wumpa tree. The hero held his love in her arms and they both looked peaceful. Pasadena laughed as she remembered the bandicoot chasing his friend Josh, who took the picture and shouted as he ran to their friends, "Take a look at this!"

The possum laughed some more when she remember that Crash had tackled Josh and taken the photo from the kangaroo. Crash had walked back over to Pasadena and said, "I want you to keep this. It may not be the best picture of us, but it is our first picture together, and I want you to hold on to it. I'll get a copy of it someday." She smiled and said, "Okay. Thanks. I love you." And of course, the hero knelt down and said, "I love you, too," and he kissed her. The picture wasn't just their first photo together, but also the first gift Crash had given to her.

"I wish you were here with me right now. But I know you have a purpose, and even though you may be gone sometimes, I still love you. I hope you'll be back soon," Pasadena whispered as she looked at the photo. As she set the photo back on the nighstand, she saw her phone vibrating. She picked it up and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Crash? Are you back?"

"Yeah, I'm back. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you too."

"Did you get my email?"

"What email?"

"Check your laptop. I left you a little something before I left. I love you, and I'll see you soon."

"I love you too, Crash. Can't wait."

Pasadena let out a sigh of relief. Her love was back, and he would see her soon. Remembering what Crash said, Pasadena grabbed her laptop and opened it up. She opened up the Internet, checked her email and saw that she had one message from the bandicoot. She opened it and clicked on the link that was left there. Her computer then opened up the video player, and the eager possum pressed play. The screen was black, but it faded away and she saw Crash standing over what appeared to be a video camera.

"Ok...I think it's on," he said to himself. He then backed up and looked into the video camera and said, "Now if the red dot is blinking...Ok, good! It's going." The hero walked back to the bed and sat down. He cleared his throat and said, "Ok, uhhhh...Pasadena, hi. Hehe, I wanted to give you this because I know I'm going away for a bit, but I'll be back soon. I want to give you this as a kind of present, and a few of my friends helped me make this as a dedication to you. Right, well, here it is. I love you, and I'll be back as fast as I can."

The video then faded to black, where a caption said, "This was recorded a few days ago. Hope you'll enjoy it." The video then faded out from black and the possum saw Crash at the Backstage along with his friends. The hero walked up to the mic and said, "I like to dedicate this one to someone very special to me. Here we go." Pasadena smiled as the band began to play and she heard Crash sing.

_There's something I can't quite explain_  
><em>I'm so in love with you<em>  
><em>And you'll never take that away<em>

_And if I've said it a hundred times before_  
><em>Expect a thousand more<em>  
><em>You'll never take that away<em>

_Well expect me to be_  
><em>Calling you to see<em>  
><em>If you're okay when I'm not around<em>  
><em>Asking if you love me<em>  
><em>I love the way you make it sound<em>

_Calling you to see_  
><em>Do I try too hard to make you smile?<em>  
><em>To make us smile<em>

_Well I will keep calling you to see_  
><em>If you're sleeping, are you dreaming?<em>  
><em>If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me?<em>  
><em>I can't believe you actually picked me<em>

_I thought that the world had lost it's sway (It's so hard sometimes)_  
><em>Then I fell in love with you (Then came you)<em>  
><em>And you took that away (It's not so difficult.)<br>(The world is not so difficult)_

_You take away the old_  
><em>Show me the new<em>  
><em>And I feel like I can fly when I stand next to you<em>

_So while I'm on this phone_  
><em>A hundred miles from home<em>  
><em>I'll take the words you gave me and send them back to you<em>

_I only want to see_  
><em>If you're okay when I'm not around<em>  
><em>Asking if you love me<em>  
><em>I love the way you make it sound<em>

_Calling you to see_  
><em>Do I try too hard to make you smile?<em>  
><em>To make us smile<em>

_And I will keep calling you to see_  
><em>If you're sleeping, are you dreaming?<em>  
><em>If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me?<em>  
><em>I can't believe you actually picked me<em>

_And I will keep calling you to see_  
><em>If you're sleeping, are you dreaming?<em>  
><em>If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me?<em>  
><em>I can't believe you actually picked me<em>

_And I will keep calling you to see_  
><em>If you're sleeping, are you dreaming?<em>  
><em>If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me?<em>  
><em>I can't believe you actually picked me<em>

_Whoa oh oh oh..._

Pasadena cried tears of happiness as the video ended. The video faded to black as the song came to an end, and the captions popped up again, this time reading, "I hope you liked it. I love you, Pasadena. From Crash." She smiled and said, "Oh, Crash. I wish you were here right now."

"Wish granted."

Pasadena turned immediately to see Crash crawling in from her window. "What the-Crash? What are you doing here?" With a laugh as he came down, the hero responded, "I told I would see you soon. I missed you." Getting up from the bed, the possum walked over to the bandicoot and hugged him. "I missed you, too." Both held each other tightly as they shared an passionate kiss. "So, how's business," Crash had asked. "Pretty good, but everything isn't great unless you're around," Pasadena replied as she kissed her man's cheek. Smiling, the hero responded, "Yeah. Things aren't great when you aren't around either."

They shared another kiss, and Crash lifted the possum bridal style and laid her on the bed. He began to kiss her neck and said, "I've really missed you. Not a second went by without me thinking of you. Did you like the video I sent you?" In response, Pasadena left hickeys on Crash's neck as she said, "Yes, I did. I loved it. And I didn't stop thinking of you when you left. Crash?"

"Yes, my angel?"

"Show me how much you missed me."

"I plan to, Pas."

* * *

><p><em>Next Morning...<em>

Pasadena had woken up. As she yawned and rubbed her eyes, she began to look around for the bandicoot. He was nowhere in sight, and she sighed as she figured that he went home. "Crash...Are you here," she called in hopes the hero would respond. No response came, and the racer sighed again as she laid back down. Just before she could go back to sleep, she felt an arm wrapping around her waist. Before she could respond, she heard a familiar voice.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The possum smiled as she heard her lover's voice. "I thought you left." With another response, Crash said, "Nope. I'm staying here with my girl. Unless the world is asking for me or I'm at my house, I'll always be here when you wake up. I promise." Pasadena turned to face her lover and said, "I'm sorry for thinking that way." Nodding his head, the hero said, "It's okay for you to think that way. Sorry for not responding. I was sleeping." They both smiled as they leaned foward and kissed once more. "Come here," he said as he brought the possum on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her back once again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck once more.

"I love you, Pasadena."

"I love you too, Crash."

They kissed passionately once more before going back to sleep. And they slept with smiles on their faces, knowing that they would always be with each other.

_The End_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: (Sighs) It brings me both great pleasure and sadness that this is the end. I hoped you guys enjoyed the story. Hell of a ride, right? 3 months and 50,000 words. Well, thanks for reading. Questions, comments, or concerns, leave them in the reviews or send me a PM message.<strong>

**To the reviewers, thank you guys so much. The reviews were awesome, and your comments go appreciated. Your reviews helped me by giving me the motivation and encouragement to finish this story. Again, thank you. It really means a lot to me.**

**The song is "Calling You" by Blue October. Kinda fits the chapter.**

**Now, I'm gone. Goodbye and goodnight, and don't forget to check out my other stories. Bye!**

_***tb100***_


	19. Suprise!

**Author's Note: SUPRISE!**

_Next Morning..._

Pasadena had woken up. As she yawned and rubbed her eyes, she began to look around for the bandicoot. He was nowhere in sight, and she sighed as she figured that he went home. "Crash...Are you here," she called in hopes the hero would respond. No response came, and the racer sighed again as she laid back down. Just before she could go back to sleep, she felt an arm wrapping around her waist. Before she could respond, she heard a familiar voice.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The possum smiled as she heard her lover's voice. "I thought you left." With another response, Crash said, "Nope. I'm staying here with my girl. Unless the world is asking for me or I'm at my house, I'll always be here when you wake up. I promise." Pasadena turned to face her lover and said, "I'm sorry for thinking that way." Nodding his head, the hero said, "It's okay for you to think that way. Sorry for not responding. I was sleeping." They both smiled as they leaned foward and kissed once more. "Come here," he said as he brought the possum on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her back once again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck once more.

"I love you, Pasadena."

"I love you too, Crash."

They kissed passionately once more before going back to sleep. And they slept with smiles on their faces, knowing that they would always be with each other.

"Crash?"

"Yes, Pas?"

"I'm pregnant."

Immediately, Crash laughed hard. After his laughter went down and he wiped away a tear from his eye, he looked at Pasadena who didn't have any expression that showed that she wasn't kidding. Getting a bit worried, Crash said, "You're joking, right?" The possum looked down and looked back up with a sad expression on her face. The bandicoot scoffed and said, "Oh. Wow. I...I don't know what to say."

"Crash, I'm scared," Pasadena said as she held onto the hero. He was shocked, but he hugged the possum back. "So am I. But look...I promise to be with you the entire way. This baby is mine as well, and I swear I will take care of both you. I'm sorry I did this, but I am gonna make it up. I love you, and I'm gonna love our kid as well. We're gonna get through this. I don't know how, but I swear it," Crash said as he tried to comfort his girl. Still, he couldn't believe it. He was going to be a father.

"Crash?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm kidding!"

Pasadena had bursted out laughing as Crash fainted. The possum held her sides as she said in between her laughing, "Oh my God...You... You should've seen the look on your face!" Crash managed to wake up once more and shouted, "That is not funny!" After finishing her laugh, Pasadena said, "Oh, Crash. I'm sorry. But you have to admit it was kinda funny." Letting out a sigh, the hero replied, "Sure, whatever. Just don't ever do it again, ok?" Nodding her head, the possum said, "Ok, I promise. I love you." Laying back down, Crash kissed Pasadena and said, "I love you, too. Even though you almost gave me a heart attack." Pasadena giggled one more time as she went back to sleep. Crash closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

_The End...?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hahahaha! I did this as a joke-alternate ending. I know there's not much difference, but hey, you might've gotten a laugh out of this. Also, I did because, well, how many stories offer a alternate ending? Anyway, hoped you liked this one! :)<strong>

_***tb100***_


	20. Amare Aeternum

**Author's Note: Ok, this has been on my mind for some time now. I've decided to take out the notes and instead, give you guys something better. Well, I hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

><p>The morning birds chirped as the sun shined its radiant glow. The weather was warm, but it felt just right with the cool winds that seem to blow. The day could not seem any more peaceful and it seemed very nice. It seemed like a good day for many. It seemed like a great day to few. It seemed like a perfect day for two.<p>

As the early day continued to move on, two figures laid asleep in bed holding one another in a small house close to the shore. They were both sleeping gracefully in each other's arms, and a smile was visible on their faces, revealing the happiness they felt as they shared their warmth. The male, a bandicoot, was lying on his back and his partner, a female possum, was resting on top of him with her head using his chest as a pillow. His arms were wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to him as her arms were wrapped around his neck, as if she were pulling herself closer to him.

Slow, deep breaths were heard as they slept. Their bodies were covered by a few blankets to protect them from the cold, yet, their body heat was enough to keep each other warm. Other than keeping them warm, the blanket had sheltered their bare bodies from being exposed and hiding the obvious fact that they had made sweet, blissful love the previous night.

A gentle gust of wind blew through the door that led from their room to the balcony. Feeling the morning's cold air, the possum snuggled closer to her lover. In response, the bandicoot slightly tightened his arms around her waist. As the wind continued to blow, she shivered and slowly started to stir. She got off of him and laid close as much as she could to her mate. He rolled on his side, facing her. She hugged him tightly, wanting more of his warmth. Taking a grip on the blanket, the bandicoot gave the possum more of the blanket so she could stay warm.

The wind blew once more, causing the bandicoot's ear to twitch. Slowly, he stirred awake with a yawn. His eyelids opened to reveal dark emerald orbs, which gazed down to see his love. He smiled and kissed her forehead before nuzzling her lovingly. A faint blush formed on her cheeks and she started to wake up. Her eyelids went up to show her light green eyes back at his own. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

What may seem like a small moment for many, seemed so much more to them. It seemed like many years spent so much in just one kiss. And the feeling would never die, no matter how many times it is done. Their simple kiss remained as so for a few minutes before they turned it into a passionate one. Their tongues danced with each other before wrestling to dominate. No matter who was the victor, in the end they had both won. They had claim the other's hearts as their own, their souls were intertwined, and it seemed as if fate had chose one for the other.

Minutes which seemed like hours passed until both lovers broke the kiss for air. As they caught their breath, they smiled and snuggled close to one another. After sharing another kiss of equal passion, the possum got up and took one of the blankets to cover her body before leaving for the balcony. The bandicoot watched her hips sway as she walked. She looked back and noticed, causing herself to smile. Wanting to be with her, he got up and put on a pair of jeans that was laying on the ground. He left and walked up behind the possum and wrapped his arms around her waist as he got close enough.

They both looked over the ocean and the beach. Their home was built next to and eventually into a large tree that rested close to a cliff. From their balcony, they saw the beautiful island they called home. The lovers couldn't help but smile as their gaze was filled with such tranquility and harmony. The male closed his eyes and let the breeze blew his mate's hair into his face. The delightful scent of cherry filled his nostrils and another smile was seen on his face. The female could hear him breathing in her scent and she blushed at his actions.

His hands rubbed her hips and she softly moaned before turning around to bury her face in his chest once more. Like before in bed, she wrapped her arms around his neck. The bandicoot chuckled and he wrapped his arms around her waist. After a few minutes of enjoying their embrace, the male carried his loving companion back to bed. As he finished placing his lover on the bed gently, he closed the doors to their room and laid beside the possum. They gazed into each other's eyes, seeing nothing but what they had seen in each other for a long time.

For him, he saw the gorgeous, caring, sweet woman he had loved for so many years. It still amazed him that she was with him. At times, he had doubted that he wasn't the right man or that she deserved something completely better. But no matter how many times he told himself the same negative remark, the possum would always remind him that she loved him and would rather be with him than any other man.

When he had a duty to fulfill, his days were filled with both sadness and happiness. The depression of not seeing her and the joy that each day brought him close to his beloved. What kept his will up to fight was the possum. He refused to die without seeing her again. His only serious injury out of his many wounds was the thought of never seeing her again. When his hope was lost or when death was close, his lover's face brought him back from the darkness.

For her, she looked at the strong, yet gentle man she had adored, cared for, and loved ever since she first saw him. No one ever could know, not even him, just how much she loved the bandicoot. What may have seemed just like any simple crush to anybody was to her, in fact, perhaps a relationship that is rare in the world. She hoped, and still continues to hope, that she will never let go of him. Each time she said that, he would smile and state that he would never leave and if he did, he would always come back.

Knowing that the man she loved was putting his life at risk each and every day, she remembered waiting for him. Even if she had to wait to the point where she was considered an elder, she would continue to wait. The possum could not imagine any other man but the one she cared for most. Going back to the day he made his promise, she could never break the one she made to him. Every day, she waited by the window, hoping to see the orange figure in the distance.

When they were younger, they both considered what they had just a simple friendship. However, years went by without seeing the other, and when they met again, they did not know the next couple of days would eventually lead to them getting to know each other better, being with the other most of the time, and always enjoying the other's company. The real kicker, however, was that didn't know they would fall in love, reveal their love, and share their love for one another.

They were not the perfect couple. They did have their fights, their arguments, and their conflicts. Hours of silence, days of bitterness, and once, a month of anger. But despite the obstacles they faced, the challenges they had to conquer, and the sacrifices that had to be made, in the end their love remained ever so strong. Their chain was unbreakable, but there were scratches and dents on the chain that binds them.

The lovers laid in bed next to one another. They shared another kiss, filled with an everlasting passion. When they broke away, the bandicoot rested his hand on her stomach, rubbing gently. A few minutes later, he lowered himself to kiss her tummy, making the possum giggle. She smiled once he began to nuzzle her belly. Soon, he laid his head on her stomach. He sighed peacefully and looked up to see her looking back at him. They smiled at one another before he crawled up to kiss her once more.

After another deep kiss, they broke away to feel an atmosphere of sleep upon them. They didn't wish to rest, but their bodies begged and they couldn't help but oblige. They snuggled as close as they could to one another and they held the other in their arms. Like earlier, he laid on his back and she rested on top of them. They shared one more passionate kiss before letting their eyelids close again. As they slowly drifted to sleep, they both whispered three words. No matter how many times they said it, not even if it was a million times or even more than that, they hoped they never had to stop saying it. And the lovers hoped to repeat them for the rest of their lives.

_"I love you."_

* * *

><p><strong>Not only did I do this to replace a chapter, but I was helped. Not just helped, but inspired by someone I know to do this chapter.<br>In thanks, this is dedicated to that person.**

**Also, I thank you for reading the story and I hope you enjoyed the ride. This chapter is actually something that occurs around the time in a future story of mine. And for that story, only time will tell...**

**Until next time.**

_**~AR**_


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